Russia Targets Ukraine’s Digital Economy With Strikes

Published: 26 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Russia’s latest wave of attacks on Ukraine has increasingly extended beyond traditional military and energy targets, with data centres, telecommunications companies and internet infrastructure in Kyiv coming under attack this week. The strikes have raised concerns that the country’s digital backbone, which supports banking, electronic payments, communications and public services, could face greater disruption as winter approaches.

Ukrainian authorities said around 100,000 households in Kyiv and the surrounding Kyiv region experienced temporary internet problems following Russian attacks on Wednesday and Thursday. Several internet providers reported damage to facilities containing important networking equipment, while specialists worked to restore services and assess the wider impact on the telecommunications network.

The disruption has highlighted the importance of Ukraine’s digital infrastructure during a war in which communications have become essential to both civilian life and national resilience. For millions of people, internet connectivity is now closely linked to access to banking services, digital government platforms, education, business operations and everyday communication with relatives and colleagues.

The situation became more serious on Friday when another Russian drone strike hit a business complex in central Kyiv that housed infrastructure belonging to Datagroup, one of the country’s major telecommunications companies. Ukrainian officials said four people were killed in the attack. Reports indicated that a data centre was also damaged, although telecommunications services were maintained through backup arrangements.

The attacks have prompted Ukrainian officials to describe the incidents as part of a broader effort to damage the country’s information and communications infrastructure. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said major Ukrainian data centres had been targeted in an attempt to disrupt the flow of information.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said Russia had widened its attacks to include data centres and internet providers, arguing that the consequences could reach ordinary people who depend on digital services for work, study and communication. Russia, meanwhile, has said that some of the infrastructure targeted was connected to Ukrainian military intelligence, presenting its strikes as part of the wider conflict.

The pattern has attracted attention beyond Ukraine’s borders. In central Poland, a fire broke out at a ground-based Starlink communications station that helps transmit internet traffic, including traffic connected with Ukraine. Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski described the incident as sabotage and said it appeared designed to disrupt communications. However, Polish authorities also acknowledged that the investigation had not established who was responsible, while Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in sabotage operations.

The incident illustrates how the digital dimension of the war can extend beyond Ukraine itself. Poland has become a key logistical and communications hub for support to Kyiv, making infrastructure on its territory strategically important. Any prolonged disruption to communications networks could potentially affect not only civilian users but also organisations and institutions that rely on cross-border connectivity.

Ukraine has spent much of the war attempting to make its communications systems more resilient. Internet and mobile operators have invested in backup power supplies, alternative routing and decentralised infrastructure to keep services functioning during missile attacks and prolonged electricity shortages.

The relatively decentralised structure of Ukraine’s internet network has provided an important layer of protection. Damage to one facility does not necessarily mean an entire city or region will lose connectivity. Telecommunications companies can reroute traffic and move data or services to alternative locations when individual facilities are damaged. Datagroup, for example, said its customer data remained safe and that services continued operating from backup sites following Friday’s strike.

Even so, repeated attacks could create a different kind of challenge. A single strike may cause only temporary disruption, but a sustained campaign against multiple providers, data centres and supporting infrastructure could place increasing pressure on the system. Repair crews would have to work repeatedly under dangerous conditions while operators attempt to maintain service with fewer functioning facilities.

The concern is particularly significant because winter traditionally places additional pressure on Ukraine’s infrastructure. Electricity shortages can force telecommunications companies to depend heavily on generators, batteries and other backup systems. If energy facilities and digital infrastructure are damaged simultaneously, restoring connectivity could become considerably more difficult.

Ukrainian officials and technology figures have therefore urged residents to consider alternative communication options. Serhii Sternenko, a Ukrainian blogger and former government adviser, encouraged Kyiv residents to prepare for possible winter disruptions by obtaining Starlink terminals or other means of maintaining communications.

The latest attacks are also occurring against the backdrop of a wider Russian campaign against Ukraine’s economy. Recent strikes have hit warehouses, petrol stations, ports, commercial facilities and industrial sites. A warehouse used by McDonald’s outside Kyiv was among the facilities struck on Friday. The broader pattern has increased concerns about the ability of businesses to maintain supply chains and production after repeated attacks.

Ukraine’s industrial sector has faced particularly severe pressure. Russian attacks have disrupted steel production and other heavy industries, while damage to logistics and commercial infrastructure has complicated the movement of goods. According to a senior industry official cited in recent reporting, Ukraine failed to produce a single tonne of steel during September for the first time in a century

The pressure on Ukraine’s economy is compounded by the continuing demands of air defence. Kyiv has been attempting to protect its cities and critical infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated Russian missile and drone attacks, including new high-speed jet-powered drones. At the same time, Ukraine has faced shortages of Patriot air-defence missiles, which are particularly important for countering ballistic missile threats.

A potential development came on Friday when Zelenskyy said US President Donald Trump had made a final decision to grant Ukraine licences to produce Patriot missiles domestically. The announcement followed a meeting between the two leaders in New York during the United Nations General Assembly. Ukrainian officials have argued that domestic production could reduce dependence on foreign supplies of critical interceptors.

The licensing issue has been uncertain for months. Earlier statements from Washington indicated that discussions were continuing, while Trump had previously expressed reservations about transferring technology associated with the Patriot system. Zelenskyy’s latest statement therefore represents a significant change in the public position, although details about the exact missile variants covered by the licence and the timetable for production have not yet been made public.

Even if domestic production eventually begins, it would not immediately solve Ukraine’s current air-defence requirements. Establishing production lines for advanced missile systems requires specialised equipment, trained personnel, supply chains and extensive testing. In the meantime, Ukraine remains dependent on existing stocks and assistance from international partners.

For ordinary Ukrainians, however, the latest attacks demonstrate that the modern battlefield increasingly reaches into systems that once appeared separate from the front lines. A damaged data centre can interrupt internet access. A telecommunications outage can affect businesses and public services. Damage to electricity infrastructure can make it harder for networks to recover. And an attack on a commercial facility can have consequences for employment, supplies and household incomes.

The coming winter will therefore test not only Ukraine’s energy resilience but also its ability to keep its digital economy functioning under sustained pressure. The country’s decentralised telecommunications network, backup systems and international connectivity provide important safeguards, but repeated strikes could continue to test those defences.

As the war moves deeper into its fifth year of full-scale fighting, the battle over infrastructure is increasingly becoming a battle over the systems that allow a modern society to function. For Ukraine, keeping the internet running is no longer simply a matter of convenience. It has become part of maintaining economic activity, public administration and daily life while the country remains under attack.