Ukrainian drones leave Russia offline for months - FT
Internet outage (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russia’s critical infrastructure have caused widespread internet outages, leaving residents in some regions without connectivity for several months, according to the Financial Times.
According to the FT, Ukrainian drones repeatedly struck data centers and network equipment controlling internet traffic in Russian regions. As a result, users in remote areas of the country were left without stable access to online services, social networks, and communication platforms.
For example, in July and August, over 2,000 cases of mobile network outages were recorded in Russia - more than three times the number reported in June.
“The war has finally reached Russia: Drones are arriving, and this is how they’re trying to defend themselves,” said Mikhail Klimarev, director of Internet Protection Society
Mobile internet restrictions are most often implemented near military facilities. For example, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, residents of certain districts were without a network for more than two months, as the region is home to numerous defense enterprises that regularly become targets of Ukrainian attacks.
Due to these outages, residents cannot use online navigation or pay with bank cards. According to the Central Bank of Russia, in July, the amount of cash in circulation increased by $2.2 billion. The regulator explained these difficulties as temporary internet outages in certain regions.
Russian official sources rarely mention internet disruptions. However, residents confirm that in some regions, connectivity was restored only after many weeks of limited service or remained unstable altogether.
Financial Times notes that Ukrainian drone attacks on critical infrastructure are part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening Russia’s communications and logistics capabilities in the war against Ukraine.
Drone attacks on Russia
Russians reported a drone attack in Bashkortostan. Residents said that on September 13, a major fire broke out at the Novo-Ufa oil refinery. The facility is located about 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
On the night of September 12, several regions of Russia were also attacked by unidentified drones. Russians reported explosions, and in one city, allegedly, a fire.
In addition, on the morning of August 7, Russians reported explosions and fires in the Krasnodar region. Locals claimed that unidentified drones attacked an oil refinery and a military base.
Later that day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the strike on the Afipsky oil refinery, as well as attacks on several other important facilities.
