Strikes On Russian Data Centers Could Be As Disruptive As Attacks On Oil Refineries, Expert Says

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Cybersecurity expert Kostiantyn Korsun said this in an interview with Ukrainian Radio, as reported by Ukrinform.

According to Korsun, Ukrainian data centers are essentially no different from those in Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, the United States or elsewhere.

“But the consequences of strikes are different. The point is that access to the internet and data centers in Russia – which are used not only for internet access, but also for data storage and hosting – is highly centralized. The data centers operated by Yandex are giants. They offer dozens and hundreds of different services and have virtually monopolized this market in Russia,” the expert said.

In Ukraine, he said, the system is decentralized and distributed, whereas in Russia it is highly centralized.

“That is why the consequences are so different. When we were hit, most users barely noticed anything; only some resource owners who had failed to make backups were affected. In Russia, meanwhile, there is an uproar: people are complaining that this or that does not work – taxis, smart homes, hubs, even payments at cafes,” Korsun said.

Internet access in Russia is also tightly controlled by the government and security services, which have installed so-called“black boxes” at providers to monitor traffic.

The expert believes that if Ukrainian strikes continue at the current pace, scale and effectiveness, Russian businesses could begin to collapse.

“They are now trying to save the most widely used services by moving them to other data-center facilities. This cannot be done quickly. They are looking for any available servers, and there is a global shortage of them,” he said.

Korsun noted that disruptions to services such as taxis could have broader economic consequences, as fewer people would be able to get to work, drivers would lose income, and economic activity and tax revenues would decline.

He also pointed to Yandex's role as a major provider for the corporate sector, including banks.

“Banks need somewhere to run their processing systems. No infrastructure, no processing – the bank cannot operate, and card payments stop. These are already shock-level developments,” Korsun said.

He suggested that a major disruption to internet infrastructure could trigger a banking panic, with people rushing to withdraw their deposits and convert their money into cash.

Read also: Drones attack Yandex data center in Russia for third time in a week – media

According to the expert, this could lead to the collapse of Russia's banking system.

Korsun also said that data centers could become an alternative target if an“energy truce” limits strikes on oil refineries and energy infrastructure.

“There are many data centers in Russia – roughly four to five times more than in Ukraine. If we have 50–60, they have around 230–240. But this is a promising area. If oil refineries and energy infrastructure cannot be targeted, there are warehouse complexes or IT infrastructure,” he said.

He added that Russia's last major data center is located in Mytishchi, north of Moscow, and said that a successful strike could cause major disruptions for months.

As Ukrinform reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centers, carried out in response to Russian attacks on data centers in Ukraine, had reduced the presence of malicious bots on social media.

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