Russia plans underground, camouflaged data centers with drone defenses

In response to Ukrainian drone attacks on three Yandex data hubs, a Sberbank construction site and a VK center, Russia's Digital Development Ministry released a set of guidelines for future and current data facilities. The rules categorize centers into three tiers: strategic sites whose loss would halt key state operations for an hour or more, regional/economic sites vulnerable to outages of four hours or longer, and corporate sites whose damage would have limited state impact.

For all tiers, the ministry recommends underground placement, camouflage to lower aerial detection, and multi-layered defenses including reinforced buildings, electronic-warfare measures and dedicated drone-defense systems. The plan also cites a regional governor's suggestion to locate centers in abandoned open-pit mines and quarries for natural protection. Analysts note that about 80% of Russia's data infrastructure sits near Moscow, within range of long-range Ukrainian drones, raising concerns over national security and AI development.