Russia strikes data centers to disrupt Ukraine's air raid alert systems, says minister

Russia attacked data centers on Wednesday, September 23, in an attempt to disrupt Ukraine's air raid warning systems, according to Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. He stated this on his X social media page. Sybiha said Russia targeted major Ukrainian data processing centers to hinder information flow, emphasizing that rapid missile and drone threat alerts are vital and save lives. He called this critical civilian infrastructure, not a military target, and noted Russia also struck a college building while students were on campus. The minister said Russia seeks new ways to destabilize life and terrorize civilians since it is failing on the battlefield, urging stronger sanctions and more interceptor missiles to stop the terror. The overnight and daytime attack on Kyiv involved drones, hitting gas stations, railway facilities, warehouses, a business center, data centers, and a market, killing at least two people. The Digital Transformation Ministry reported internet problems for about 100,000 subscribers due to the data center strikes.