Russian Companies Turn to Kazakhstan and Belarus for Data Backups After Ukrainian Drone Strikes

Ukrainian drones have hit data‑center sites across six Russian regions, interrupting services tied to a number of major domestic firms and eliciting a swift reaction from the Kremlin.

Labelled by Russian officials as assaults on critical infrastructure, the strikes have pushed several Russian enterprises to seek safer hosting abroad. Sources say firms are assessing data‑center capacity in nearby Kazakhstan and, to a smaller degree, Belarus, as contingency measures to maintain vital computing functions.

President Vladimir Putin issued an emergency commandeering of the remaining domestic capacity, intended to pool resources and blunt the impact of the drone attacks. The order highlights the strategic role of digital infrastructure in the current war, as both parties understand that dominance over data streams can affect military and economic results.

Industry analysts observe that moving to overseas hosts mirrors a wider pattern of Russian companies bolstering IT resilience after years of mounting cyber threats. Kazakhstan, thanks to its comparatively stable politics and expanding tech sector, presents a handy alternative for businesses needing rapid relocation of servers and cloud services. Belarus, though a smaller player, still provides geographic closeness and established connections to Russian markets.

Analysts warn that this shift could affect Russia’s digital sovereignty in the long run. Depending on foreign data centres might reveal sensitive data to outside jurisdictions and hinder regulatory control. Simultaneously, the strikes expose the fragility of Russia’s own data‑center infrastructure, which, despite rapid expansion in recent years, remains susceptible to aerial attacks. In the coming weeks, further security reviews, potential funding for fortified facilities, and ongoing talks with neighboring countries to secure backup capacity are expected.