Russia is considering additional protections for its data centers after concerns over drone strikes on the country’s digital infrastructure. Recommendations from the Digital Development Ministry include anti-drone nets, signal-jamming equipment and camouflage, as well as the possibility of moving some facilities underground.
The proposals also cover protection against shockwaves for servers, power supplies and cooling systems. The recommendations divide data centers into three categories: K1 for strategic sites, K2 for economic targets and K3 for corporate facilities. The specific measures assigned to each category have not been made public.
The ministry’s recommendations were reported by Russian publication Kommersant, which said the document had been sent to relevant organizations. The article said it appeared to have been circulated on October 21, 2026, amid concern about attacks on internet infrastructure.
The report says five Russian data centers were targeted in October, including a Sberbank facility in Balakovo and three centers owned by Yandex. Sberbank’s first deputy CEO, Alexander Vedyakhin, said the Balakovo center had been attacked, but the bank’s systems and services continued to operate normally.
Adding protective measures could raise the cost of a data center by around 10%, according to the report. Roman Chustuzian, senior investment director at KAMA FLOW, told Kommersant that the added expense of shelters, grids, sensors and duplicated connections would be preferable to the potential loss of up to 87% of a facility’s value and months of downtime.
Sources: TechRadar.