Ukraine: Russia pounds data centres in Kyiv, disrupting media outlets

"Dear customers! As a result of an enemy attack, COSMONOVA|NET's core network has been damaged. Some of our customers may, therefore, experience disruptions to their internet connection." This message was issued on 25 September by Ukrainian telecommunications and IT services provider COSMONOVA|NET following a Russian strike on its facility in Kyiv. The following day, it was targeted in another attack and announced that it was "offline".

Since 23 September, data centres in Kyiv have been targeted by Russian strikes, causing IT failures and internet outages that have had direct repercussions on Ukrainian media outlets. The public broadcaster Suspilne reported that several video players on its website were "temporarily unavailable" following the strikes on COSMONOVA|NET. The media outlet told RSF it was "operating under constant attacks" and confirmed that "most of the resources and functions affected by the strike have already been restored".

The data centre disruptions have affected other media outlets, including private television channels Priamiy and Novyny Live. Priamiy reported that its website was "unavailable", while the latter said it was experiencing broadcasting problems. Television channel Kyiv 24, meanwhile, warned of "potential risks of outages" and indicated alternative ways to access its programmes. The television channel Kanal 5reported difficulties transmitting its signal. The outages have also extended to other regions in Ukraine. In the northeastern city of Poltava, local news outlet Kolo's website is offline.

In Kyiv, freelance reporter Ksenia Savoskina lost her internet connection following the first attack: "At first, we thought it was a technical error, or that we had forgotten to pay for the wi-fi. Later, we learned that Russian drones had attacked a data centre in Kyiv." According to the journalist, the main purpose of these attacks is psychological - to "spread panic."

These Internet outages affected nearly 100,000 people in Kyiv on 23 September, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation.

Striking data centres: a threat to the right to information

UTELS and Pavutyna are among the Ukrainian internet service providers suffering the consequences of the strikes. Pavutyna stated on Telegram that it lost "almost half" of its network, and has since announced that it has been restored. Ukrainian web hosting provider CityHost, whose two data centres were partially destroyed on 23 September, announced that it had been forced to move its servers used for hosting websites to countries in the European Union (EU). Its teams are still working to fully restore the service, according to RSF information. On 25 September, a drone strike on the offices of Datagroup, one of the country's leading telecommunications operators, killed four people in Kyiv.

Two days later, on 27 September, Kyivstar, the country's largest mobile operator, was targeted by drones in an attack claimed by Moscow, as was an attack on a data centre belonging to Vodafone Ukraine, another mobile operator. On 29 September, Ukrainian telecommunications company Ukrtelecom was also hit by a strike in Kyiv, without any disruption to its services.

Concerns over the coming winter

The risks to the country's digital infrastructure and communications could persist "until the end of the war," warned Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskiy. He added that Ukrainian authorities were "preparing for the worst-case scenario" and working to protect this infrastructure, including through underground sites and facilities located abroad.

What concerns Ksenia Savoskina most is the coming winter. Internet outages could coincide with power cuts caused by the repeated strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving part of the population without either electricity or internet access. Like many Ukrainian reporters and media organisations, Ksenia Savoskina is considering purchasing Starlink equipment as a backup solution.

RSF contacted the various media outlets, data centres and mobile phone companies concerned for comment. Vodafone said it was unable to "comment" for "security reasons".