# Russian Data Centers Move Underground Following Ukrainian Drone Strikes Tech firms seek subterranean protection after infrastructure damage disrupts critical cloud services. - **Source:** [Ars Technica - All content](https://brifing.si/source/b728770c-8dda-457a-8986-84879c9fc42c) - **Published:** 2026-11-03 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/d997da29-b65a-4196-8e26-ca2e81a59baa ## Drone Strikes Impact Infrastructure Recent Ukrainian drone strikes have successfully damaged Russian facilities housing AI supercomputers and cloud infrastructure. These attacks caused significant service disruptions for millions of users across the country. The targeting of major tech hubs marks a shift in the conflict, forcing Russian companies to reconsider the physical security of their digital assets. ## Targeted Tech Giants Affected The strikes specifically degraded operations for major entities including Yandex, Sberbank, and VKontakte. Additionally, the Russian Ministry of Finance reported infrastructure damage, highlighting the vulnerability of state-linked digital systems. These disruptions have forced a rapid reassessment of how these organizations maintain uptime while under constant threat from long-range aerial drone attacks. ## Underground Relocation Strategy Rostelcom is currently negotiating with Norilsk, a nickel and palladium mining firm, to explore moving data centers underground. This initiative aims to utilize existing subterranean spaces to shield sensitive hardware from further drone strikes. Such a transition represents a massive logistical shift in how Russian tech companies approach physical data center security. ## Camouflage Through Coal Mines Regional authorities have proposed building new data centers within open-pit coal mines to improve concealment. The plan includes planting green public parks on the surface to camouflage these facilities from aerial surveillance. This unconventional approach highlights the extreme measures being considered to protect critical computing capacity from ongoing military threats. ## State Mandates for Capacity The Kremlin has issued new requirements mandating that data center owners reserve specific computing capacity for emergency state needs. This policy ensures that government operations remain functional even if primary infrastructure is compromised. Furthermore, authorities have authorized the potential use of foreign data centers to maintain continuity during these periods of instability. ## Escalation of Infrastructure Warfare Since late September, the conflict has intensified with both sides targeting critical data infrastructure. While Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities, Ukraine has retaliated by striking military and infrastructure targets deep within Russian territory. This cycle of destruction has turned previously secure data centers into high-priority targets for both warring nations. ## Operational Risks for Cloud The reliance on centralized cloud services has become a significant liability for Russian tech firms. Disruptions to these services have affected millions, demonstrating the fragility of the current network architecture. Companies are now struggling to balance the need for high-performance computing with the urgent requirement for physical protection against modern drone warfare. ## Future of Resilient Infrastructure The move toward subterranean and camouflaged data centers signals a long-term shift in Russian infrastructure strategy. As drone technology continues to threaten fixed assets, the industry must prioritize hardening and decentralization. The success of these underground projects will determine the future stability of Russia's digital economy amidst ongoing regional military conflict. ## Sources covering this story - https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/11/russia-looks-to-hide-data-centers-underground-as-ukrainian-drones-strike-back/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._