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A late-August presidential decree enables Russian authorities to temporarily assume control of critical infrastructure deemed inadequately protected, driving data-center operators to expand physical and cyber defenses. The requirements affect critical sectors including energy, telecommunications, transport and utilities, and reportedly extend to facilities serving government agencies, banks and major service providers.
Operators are expected to harden exposed engineering equipment, establish backup communications, improve DDoS protections and strengthen software-vulnerability management. Russia's data-center capacity is heavily concentrated around Moscow and St. Petersburg—areas increasingly within reach of Ukrainian long-range drones—while the new measures are expected to increase operating costs amid a conflict that has already caused physical and cyber disruption to Ukrainian and Russian digital infrastructure.
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President Vladimir Putin signed Decree No. 604, allowing the Russian government to temporarily take control of critical infrastructure whose operators fail to provide adequate protection, including from drone attacks. The decree covers energy, telecommunications, transport, and utilities infrastructure.
A cyberattack on a Ukrainian data-center facility serving several state-owned companies disrupted its customers' operations.
Russian media reported that some companies considered moving data from facilities around Moscow to sites east of the Ural Mountains, partly because of drone threats.
Russian media reported that the new security requirements affect data centers serving government agencies, banks, and major service providers. Some operators began hardening external engineering equipment and planned backup communications, stronger DDoS protections, and improved software-vulnerability management.
A strike damaged a major data center in Kyiv, causing several local internet providers to fully or partially suspend operations.
Russian authorities reportedly began installing metal frameworks to support anti-drone netting around electrical infrastructure in Moscow, including a major substation in eastern Moscow.
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Russia has intensified its campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, deploying advanced weaponry to target not only electricity generation but also natural gas production, with a focus on the most vulnerable regions. In response, Ukraine has launched strikes on Russian energy sites deep within Russian territory, forcing Moscow to curtail some energy exports and ration fuel internally. The ongoing attacks have placed significant strain on Ukraine's energy grid, which relies heavily on nuclear power plants, thermal power, and hydroelectric sources, while the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remains under Russian control and offline. Concurrently, Russia has implemented new digital security measures, including 24-hour mobile internet blackouts for travelers returning from abroad, to prevent Ukrainian drones from exploiting domestic SIM cards for navigation. These restrictions have caused unexpected outages, particularly in border regions, and are part of a broader effort to expand the powers of the FSB to order shutdowns of mobile and internet access in response to perceived threats. Despite these measures, government-approved digital services remain accessible, and officials have indicated that some restrictions will persist around critical infrastructure until the end of the conflict.
Jun 29, 2026
U.S. officials stepped up warnings and coordination with industry over potential Russian cyberattacks tied to the Ukraine crisis, urging organizations to report signs of reconnaissance, exploitation testing, malware development, and compromises involving industrial control systems. The FBI, CISA, DHS, NSA, Treasury, Energy Department, and allied partners increased intelligence sharing and defensive preparations as officials cited the risk that destructive activity already hitting Ukrainian entities could spill over to U.S. and foreign companies with operations in Ukraine, particularly across **energy, healthcare, finance, and other critical infrastructure** sectors. The concern was grounded in a documented history of Russian operations against operational technology and the energy sector. Prior U.S. government reporting detailed campaigns targeting critical infrastructure, while Treasury sanctioned a Russian state research institution linked to the **Triton/Trisis** malware used against Schneider Electric safety systems. The Justice Department later charged four Russian government-linked individuals over the **Triton/Trisis** and **Dragonfly/Havex** campaigns, alleging long-running efforts to compromise **SCADA** and industrial control environments at hundreds of organizations in roughly 135 countries to enable future disruption or physical damage.
Aug 15, 2026
The UK Ministry of Defence reported a sharp increase in **drone sightings near British military bases**, citing **266 incidents** last year versus **126 in 2024**, and linked the trend to concerns about hostile reconnaissance of sensitive defence sites, including airbases used by the **US Air Force**. In response, the UK government is moving to expand authorities under the **Armed Forces Bill** so designated military personnel can directly intervene against threatening uncrewed systems—covering **air, land, and submersible drones**—without first requiring police involvement. In Ukraine, **SpaceX and Ukrainian authorities** implemented an **emergency measure** to disable **unauthorized Starlink terminals** being used to control Russian long-range drones, following reports that Russia continued leveraging Starlink-enabled connectivity for strikes deeper inside Ukraine. Ukrainian officials characterized the action as a temporary fix that may also disrupt some legitimate users, while SpaceX and Ukraine pursue a more durable approach to prevent unauthorized use of the satellite service in contested environments—highlighting how **commercial communications infrastructure** is being exploited as part of drone-enabled warfare and broader hybrid threats across Europe.
Jul 3, 2026