Ukraine’s drone strikes spur hasty Russian plans for underground data centers
Summary
Ars Technica reports that Ukrainian drone strikes have damaged Russian AI data centers, prompting a scramble to harden and relocate operations underground. Moscow's decree to reserve 10% of data center capacity for state use and potential use of foreign facilities signals a shift toward greater data sovereignty and centralized control, while Ukraine relies on distributed infrastructure and international support to maintain service resilience. The piece contrasts Russia's centralized risk with Ukraine's more resilient, decentralized approach and notes the role of global cloud providers and Starlink in sustaining operations.