Expert Assesses Likelihood Of Nationwide Internet Blackout In Ukraine Amid Russian Attacks

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Serhii Denysenko, director of the Cyberlab Computer Forensics Laboratory, expressed this view in comments to Ukrinform.

According to him, Russia is seeking to create conditions for the disruption of telecommunications services in Ukraine and is using not only cyberattacks but also physical strikes against the relevant infrastructure to achieve this.

“The Russians want to cause a blackout by completely shutting down telecommunications services. This is part of cyberwarfare. They are also using physical attacks on our infrastructure, including the destruction of data centers. At the same time, the current situation is not critical,” Denisenko said.

The expert explained that the resilience of Ukraine's digital infrastructure is ensured by a large number of data centers and internet service providers, as well as mobile operators' networks. Therefore, targeted strikes on individual facilities should not lead to a widespread disruption of internet access.

“We have a sufficiently large number of data centers and a large number of providers, so connectivity is maintained. Targeted strikes on data centers will not cause significant damage to communications or to our citizens' internet access,” he noted.

Denisenko added that even in the event of service disruptions at individual providers, users can still access the internet through mobile operators. Furthermore, major providers and operators do not concentrate all their equipment in a single location; part of their infrastructure may be located abroad. According to the expert's assessment, thanks to this distributed system, Ukrainians should not face a prolonged, widespread loss of internet access.

Physical security measures for data centers are also being implemented to mitigate risks. Specifically, these include fortifying facilities, relocating part of the infrastructure underground, and restricting information about its locations. Another protective mechanism involves data backup and the creation of so-called mirror data centers.“If one burns down, the information remains in the other,” Denisenko explained, describing how such a system works.

He also noted that Ukrainian companies store and process information not only in Ukraine. Data centers in various countries across Europe and around the world are used for this purpose.

Government agencies may also store information abroad. According to Denisenko, in such cases, data centers with appropriate cybersecurity and physical security measures are selected.

Read also: Zelensky: Russians strike Kyiv data center twice this morning

At the same time, the expert does not rule out the risk of sabotage against digital infrastructure outside Ukraine. However, it is difficult to determine exactly where the information of a specific Ukrainian company or institution is stored, especially given its distribution across different countries.

As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky previously emphasized that the Russians want to leave Ukrainians without the internet, communications, and digital servi ces.

Photo: Flickr

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