Four people were killed in a Russian drone strike on a business centre in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia has expanded its attacks to target Ukraine's data centres and internet providers, aiming to disrupt daily life for citizens. "All this affects people's ability to stay connected, study, work," he said.
On Friday, a Russian drone struck a business centre in Kyiv, resulting in four fatalities and damage to a data centre. A separate attack also killed a 14-year-old boy, confirmed by Israel's foreign ministry as an Israeli citizen. Russia acknowledged targeting a data centre, claiming it was used by Ukrainian military intelligence.
Approximately 100,000 households in Kyiv and the surrounding region experienced internet outages on Wednesday due to the strikes. Some companies have started relocating data from damaged servers to facilities abroad. In Lutsk, electronic information boards at public transport stops were reported non-functional due to damage from the attacks.
In a social media post, Zelensky remarked, "The Russians are constantly expanding their escalation operation: American and other businesses, data centres, internet providers – for Russia, all ordinary life is simply a target. It is important that the world responds to all of this and that Russia feels the response to its terror."
Zelensky later indicated that "additional decisions" were made at a meeting with Ukraine's defense and security officials to protect data centres and critical communications facilities. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Russia aims to disrupt the flow of "life-saving information" by targeting data centres, emphasizing that these are critical civilian infrastructure.
Zelensky's adviser on defense technologies acknowledged potential local disruptions and an increase in internet service costs due to repairs but assured that Ukraine's internet network remains decentralized, ensuring continued access.
The data centre hit on Friday was operated by Datagroup, which reported that its specialists were assessing the damage but that services continued to operate from backup sites. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that seven people had died and 59 were injured in the overnight attacks.
Russia's defense ministry confirmed it targeted the Datagroup site, claiming it was used by Ukrainian military intelligence. Footage of the damaged Inkom business centre housing Datagroup has been verified by the BBC. The Russian defense ministry also stated that it has targeted several data processing and telecommunications centres in Ukraine in recent days.
In recent weeks, Moscow has intensified strikes on Ukraine's energy and railway infrastructure as winter approaches. Ukraine's military has responded by targeting Russian oil refineries and logistics hubs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, stated that Moscow would consider resuming direct peace negotiations with Kyiv, contingent on Ukraine feeling the impact of Russian retaliatory strikes. Zelensky expressed readiness for trilateral talks involving the US.
Kyiv and European allies have accused Putin of rejecting peace negotiations, asserting that he seeks to annex more Ukrainian territory. Putin reiterated that Russia has "no plans" to attack Europe, similar to his prior statements about Ukraine before the invasion.
Separately, the European Union agreed to release €6.6 billion for Ukraine, with EU diplomat Kaja Kallas describing it as "good news for Ukraine and bad news for Russia." This includes €900 million for the EU's Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine and a €1 billion fund for joint procurement of equipment.
In Poland, prosecutors opened an investigation into an arson attack on a Starlink satellite station, suspecting it may have been ordered by Russian special services. The station transmits internet traffic to countries including Ukraine. Recent weeks have seen warnings from several European NATO members about potential hybrid attacks from Russia, which Moscow denies. Earlier this month, Germany attributed an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia, while France has initiated plans to protect critical infrastructure.