One of Russia’s biggest data centers may have come under attack in Saratov region
Photo: Sberbank’s data center may have come under attack (Getty Images)
Dozens of explosions were heard in Balakovo, in Russia’s Saratov region, overnight on October 14, and a fire broke out. It is unknown what exactly was targeted, but possible targets include Sberbank’s data center, energy infrastructure, and a metallurgical plant, according to the OSINT channel Exilenova+.
Local residents reported dozens of explosions in the city. Footage circulated by Exilenova+ shows the moment of impact, followed by a fire breaking out in the city. Russian authorities have not yet commented on the attack officially.
One of the likely targets is Sberbank’s mega data center. Construction of the complex is ongoing, but it is being commissioned in stages, so some sections may already be operational.
The project, valued at 122.2 billion rubles (more than $1 billion), involves the creation of one of the largest data centers in Russia.
Photo: Dozens of explosions were heard in Balakovo, in Russia’s Saratov region (Exilenova+)
Dozens of explosions were heard in Balakovo, in Russia’s Saratov region, overnight on October 14, and a fire broke out. It is unknown what exactly was targeted, but possible targets include Sberbank’s data center, energy infrastructure, and a metallurgical plant, according to the… pic.twitter.com/FRaTNMowAz
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) October 14, 2026
Local residents reported dozens of explosions in Balakovo, in Russia’s Saratov region pic.twitter.com/C7uJeNaP60
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) October 14, 2026
It is expected to house around 3,000 server racks and up to 120,000 servers, with a capacity of 82 MW. In addition to the bank’s own data, the complex was intended to host services of the state digital platform GosTech.
According to other reports, energy infrastructure in the area may have been targeted. There are also reports of a possible attack on the industrial zone of the MZ Balakovo metallurgical plant.
On the night of October 11, drones disabled a Yandex data center in Russia’s Vladimir region, after which dozens of services across the country stopped working. The company itself acknowledged that the facility had gone offline.
Earlier, on October 8, Russia’s largest Yandex data center in the Ryazan region came under attack, sparking a major fire. On the same day, the company hastily removed its data centers in four Russian regions from its maps.
