Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces carried out strikes on some of the Ukrainian infrastructure and logistics facilities, including a data centre in Kyiv, port infrastructure in the Odesa region and facilities that could provide Ukraine’s armed forces.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the strikes targeted facilities that Moscow says are connected to Ukraine’s military communications, logistics and weapons supply networks. Reuters also reported on Russian strikes on Ukrainian defence industry facilities, logistics centres and vessels used by Ukraine’s armed forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said one data centre in Kyiv was among the facilities hit. Russian authorities have described recent attacks on Kyiv’s data centres as an attempt to disrupt data processing and communications supporting Ukrainian military operations. The Defence Ministry of Russia identified the facility in Kyiv as a DataGroup data centre, which was involved in processing and communicating intelligence data for Ukraine's armed forces.
The attacks on Ukrainian digital infrastructure have intensified in recent days. Since mid-September, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russian forces have been targeting data centres and telecommunications infrastructure in Kyiv, and Ukrainian ISPs reported damage and communications disruption.
However, claims about the specific military functions of individual facilities have largely come from the Russian Defence Ministry and have not been independently verified in every case. ISW noted that Ukrainian authorities had not reported evidence that recent data-centre strikes had disrupted military or state communications.
Strikes reported in Odesa region
Russia also said it targeted several facilities in the Odesa region, which has become an important logistics corridor for Ukraine because of its Black Sea ports and connections to European supply routes.
The Russian Defence Ministry said strikes hit logistics and port infrastructure associated with the movement of military and dual-use goods. Reuters reported that the ministry said it had struck logistics hubs in the Odesa region and port infrastructure at Reni, located on the Danube River. It said a cargo ship transporting military and dual-use goods toward Odesa had also been targeted.
Russian reports have also identified the Nova Poshta logistics network as a target. The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that logistics facilities operated by the company were being used to store and distribute cargo intended for Ukrainian military and security forces.
Another target was a road bridge for transporting supplies. Russia has previously claimed that bridges and other transport infrastructure in the Odesa region are being used to facilitate the movement of military supplies arriving from European countries.
A vessel carrying supplies for Ukrainian forces was also struck in the Black Sea, according to Reuters. Russia said it had targeted cargo vessels that were carrying military or dual-use goods to Ukrainian ports.
Focus on Ukraine’s Logistics Network
The reported strikes reflect a wider Russian effort to attack Ukraine’s supply and transportation infrastructure. In addition to weapons-production facilities, Russian forces have increasingly targeted ports, logistics centres, railway infrastructure, bridges and telecommunications facilities.
The Odesa region is particularly important because it is a key gateway for Ukraine’s maritime trade. Its ports and its road and rail network also connect Ukraine to international supply lines as well.
According to ISW, Russian forces have intensified their attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea port areas since July 2023 to decrease Ukraine’s access to its ports for grain and other goods exports.
The attacks on data centres are one more dimension of the conflict. Ukraine relies heavily on distributed communications and internet infrastructure for civilian services, businesses and government operations. ISW assessed that strikes against individual data centres could cause temporary outages but were unlikely to completely shut down Ukraine’s internet because the country has multiple providers and distributed networks.
The new claims thus point to an increasingly broad Russian targeting strategy encompassing digital infrastructure, logistics, ports and transportation routes.
At the same time, the extent of damage to the facilities reported and their military significance are still to be verified independently from a war perspective. Both Russia and Ukraine regularly report on strikes during the war, but the details can change as new information comes into view.
Note: The military role of the facilities and damage reported is mostly based on claims from Russia's Defence Ministry and Reuters and other sources. Some of the allegations are not verified.
