Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia's Biggest Data Center as AI Push Faces 9-Month Lag
Updated
Updated · KSL.com · Oct 14
Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia's Biggest Data Center as AI Push Faces 9-Month Lag
3 articles · Updated · KSL.com · Oct 14
Summary
Sberbank confirmed a drone strike on its Balakovo data center, Russia's largest, but said all systems and services kept running without disruption.
The attack followed three strikes in the past week on Yandex data centers, suggesting Ukraine is targeting the infrastructure behind Russia's AI development.
Balakovo is due to host Russia's biggest supercomputer in 2027, while the earlier-hit Yandex sites housed all three of that company's operating supercomputers; neither company has said whether AI hardware was damaged.
Russia's AI effort already trails U.S. and Chinese rivals by up to nine months, with Sberbank saying Western sanctions and difficulty sourcing advanced chips from China are slowing progress further.
The strikes are pushing Moscow to harden digital infrastructure: the digital ministry is discussing protection with the military, and some officials want critical data centers moved underground.