Russian strikes on Kyiv data centers leave 100,000 without service
- Most critically important data and systems have been moved abroad or to the cloud.
- Destroying all internet in a simple way is impossible—you'd have to use nuclear or chemical weapons or destroy 70-80% of buildings in Kyiv.
- The enemy's goal is to cause damage, inflame panic, and heighten nervousness.
Russian drone and missile strikes hit Kyiv data centers over 23–24 September, knocking out internet and hosting providers and leaving about 100,000 subscribers without service, according to the Digital Transformation Ministry reported by NV Business. In an effort to wear down the nation’s operational capacity ahead of another wartime winter, Moscow has expanded its aerial offensive beyond storage facilities and power plants to encompass digital networks, fuel stations, and rail lines.
Impact on Kyiv Data Centers and Providers
The strikes damaged a Kyiv data center housing UTELS switching equipment on 23 September. Overnight into 24 September, strikes destroyed equipment belonging to hosting provider CityHost.UA and the data center housing MiroHost. Additional impacts hit the Pavutyna network’s data center, while Crazy Network reported that a missile struck Kyiv’s central traffic exchange hub, cutting service for subscribers in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, and Khmelnytskyi Oblast. Telecommunication providers KIEVNET, Domonet, FAUST, and Etherlink also reported service disruptions.
Ukraine’s telecom regulator NKEK stated on 24 September that providers were completing emergency restoration work. Domonet estimated that service would return by 21:00 that same evening.
Infrastructure Resilience and Provider Response
Oleksandr Olshanskyi, founder of MiroHost and head of the Internet Invest Group, whose own data center was destroyed in the strikes, noted that most critical infrastructure has already been decentralized.
Most critically important data and systems have been moved abroad or to the cloud. If an online store stops working, that’s unpleasant but not a tragedy.
Oleksandr Olshanskyi
Olshanskyi stated that about 95% of MiroHost clients operate outside Ukraine and remained unaffected by the outages. He also dismissed rumors regarding a full internet blackout or sharp service price hikes as baseless.
Destroying all internet in a simple way is impossible—you’d have to use nuclear or chemical weapons or destroy 70-80% of buildings in Kyiv.
Oleksandr Olshanskyi
Olshanskyi asserted that the strikes are intended to spread fear rather than achieve lasting military gains.
The enemy’s goal is to cause damage, inflame panic, and heighten nervousness.
Oleksandr Olshanskyi
He added that the destruction of his data center would not affect the situation at the front in any way.
Official Reactions and International Calls
The strikes on 23 September also hit a college building in Kyiv while students were on campus, killing two people and injuring more than 40. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the targeting of digital and civilian infrastructure in statements released that evening.
Russia targeted major Ukrainian data centers seeking to disrupt the flow of information. This is critical civilian infrastructure that ensures people can access life-saving information. It is not a military target.
Andrii Sybiha
Sybiha called for stronger international measures to address the attacks.
More sanctions pressure, more missile interceptors are the only way to stop this terror. These attacks must not become the new normal.
Andrii Sybiha