The Digital Vulnerabilities of Authoritarian Systems

Ukraine’s drone strikes on Yandex’s data centres expose a central paradox of digital control: the more a system depends on centralised infrastructure, the more vulnerable it can become.

Digital technology is often presented to governments as a powerful means of control. Information can be collected, services centralised, online activity monitored and access to information restricted. Yet control and resilience are not the same thing. The more a society depends on a limited number of interconnected digital platforms, the greater the consequences when critical infrastructure fails.

Recent drone strikes on Russian technology company Yandex’s data centres have brought this contradiction into sharp focus. The attacks are not simply a story about damaged servers. They raise broader questions about the vulnerability of digital infrastructure, the relationship between technology companies and the state, and the risks of building a system in which so much of everyday life depends on a few interconnected services.

According to Yandex’s own statement, its data centre in Sasovo was seriously damaged during a drone attack on the night of 7–8 October 2026 and had to be shut down. Another data centre, in Kaluga, was attacked shortly afterwards, leaving part of its infrastructure out of service. The company reported…