The Russian military has claimed that about 25 percent of Ukraine’s internet infrastructure has been destroyed in an attack targeting a data center in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
The latest attack has significantly affected Ukraine’s digital and communications services, the Tass news agency reported on Saturday, citing a source in the Russian security services. The Russian side said that internet-related services were disrupted due to damage to the data center.
According to the Russian side, the attack has partially disrupted television broadcasting in some regions of Ukraine. Problems have also been reported with social media and video services, and Kiev residents are experiencing difficulties accessing some online resources, including YouTube.
The Kosmonova data center in Kiev also reported damage to its main infrastructure on Saturday. The company said that it was rerouting internet traffic and restoring data from backup locations, local media reported.
In recent weeks, reports have emerged of an increase in attacks targeting Ukraine’s data centers and telecommunications infrastructure. On September 23 alone, four data centers were attacked, disrupting some communications and digital services.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the Kosmonova data centers were targeted, claiming that the infrastructure provided mobile internet services and Starlink support.
However, it is not reported that all of Ukraine’s internet services are in danger of being disrupted. Experts and service providers say that since Ukraine has multiple internet providers and alternative communication routes, the damage to one or a few data centers is unlikely to cause a complete internet shutdown nationwide.
Damage to data centers could affect ordinary citizens’ daily internet use, as well as news and information flow. The latest attack has reportedly affected the broadcast of some television channels and caused problems with video content on some news websites.
During the Russia-Ukraine war, energy, rail, telecommunications, and digital infrastructure have also been targeted. The latest attack on Kiev shows that the impact of the war has reached beyond military infrastructure to the communications and digital services that citizens use every day.
However, the Russian side’s claim that 25 percent of the internet infrastructure has been destroyed could not be immediately independently verified. Therefore, the figure should be taken as a claim by Russian security sources. (RSS/Xinhua)
