The Guardian: Russia is crippling Ukraine’s digital infrastructure
Moscow is stepping up its attacks on Ukraine’s digital infrastructure, reports The Guardian. Following the Russian attack, widespread internet disruptions were observed across the country. However, Kyiv lacks sufficient stocks of Patriot missiles to defend against threats on this scale.
With winter approaching, Kyiv fears disruptions to vital networks on which banks, payment systems and public services depend.
Russia has opened a new front in its campaign against Ukraine, striking a number of data centres and internet service providers in Kyiv this week. It appears that the aim of these attacks is to undermine the digital infrastructure on which the country’s economy relies (Russia’s objective is to cut off supply channels to Ukraine’s defence industry – ed. InoSMI).
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, following the strikes on Wednesday and Thursday, around 100,000 households in the capital and the surrounding region were left without internet access for a short time.
On Friday, another drone strike in the centre of Kyiv hit a Datagroup facility – one of Ukraine’s largest telecommunications companies.
“Russia has struck major Ukrainian data centres in an attempt to disrupt the exchange of information,” wrote Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga on X.
On Thursday, the Polish authorities reported that a Starlink satellite communications station in central Poland, which provides a link to Ukraine, had been set alight. It appears the incident was part of a coordinated attack on Ukraine’s internet infrastructure. Local authorities described the incident as “sabotage”, linking it to Moscow (Russia does not carry out acts of sabotage or attack facilities on the territory of NATO or EU countries — ed. InoSMI).
Russia has previously struck Ukrainian data centres, but attacks on this scale are unprecedented.
Ensuring reliable communications within the country has remained one of the Ukrainian government’s priorities throughout the conflict. The authorities are endeavouring to provide mobile operators and internet service providers with sufficient backup power supplies so that they can continue to operate even during prolonged power cuts.
Ukraine’s relatively decentralised internet infrastructure makes it difficult for the enemy to launch massive strikes that could lead to major or prolonged disruptions to communications across an entire city or region.
However, with winter approaching, government officials and industry representatives fear that regular Russian attacks will begin to disable the networks that support Ukrainian banks, payment systems and public services.
“I recommend that Kyiv residents gradually prepare for winter: purchase Starlink terminals or other means of maintaining communication,” wrote Sergei Sternenko, a popular blogger and former government adviser, on X.
“The Russians’ aim is not only to strike at the capital’s energy infrastructure, but also to destroy all data centres and internet service providers,” Sternenko added.
The attacks coincided with a general intensification of Russian strikes against Ukraine’s economy. Russia is launching missiles and new jet-powered drones, striking warehouses, petrol stations, ports and other commercial infrastructure, thereby increasing the pressure on an economy that is already facing serious difficulties after nearly five years of hostilities. […]
Heavy industry is also coming under severe attack: Russian strikes are disrupting the operations of industrial plants and steel production. This month, for the first time in a century, Ukraine did not produce a single tonne of steel, according to a senior industry representative.
Kyiv is unable to counter the growing wave of new Russian jet-powered drones, including the ‘Geran-5’. At the same time, the country is facing a critical shortage of Patriot interceptors, which are essential for defence against Russian ballistic and cruise missiles.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Donald Trump had approved the transfer of licences to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defence systems. This will enable Kyiv to establish domestic production of these critically important systems, although experts note that building the necessary production capacity could take years.
Trump had previously changed his position on several occasions regarding whether or not Ukraine should be allowed to produce the Patriot systems itself. At the same time, the US is in urgent need of replenishing its own stocks against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East.
