Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a major Sberbank data centre in Balakovo, Saratov region, overnight on October 14, damaging the facility as users across Russia reported widespread disruptions to banking applications, telecommunications and online services.
According to preliminary reports, the attack damaged the entrance to the data centre, although the full extent of the destruction remains unknown.
The Balakovo facility is one of Sberbank’s largest data infrastructure projects, designed to accommodate up to 120,000 servers. The complex covers more than 55,000 square metres and has a planned power consumption of approximately 82 megawatts.
The project, valued at 122.2 billion roubles (approximately $1.4 billion), was intended to become Russia’s largest data centre. Its first phase had already entered operation, while construction of the remaining facilities was scheduled for completion by 2030. The complex was designed to include seven modules, each accommodating 500 server racks. Construction permits for phases two through eight were issued in late 2024.
Following the reported strike, users across Russia began reporting problems accessing banking applications and online platforms. According to outage-monitoring services DownDetector and Sboy.rf, disruptions affected Sberbank services, its GigaChat artificial intelligence platform and the Samokat grocery delivery service. Users also reported problems with telecommunications operators Rostelecom, MTS, MegaFon and T2, as well as hosting provider Reg.ru and business software platform Kontur. Other affected services reportedly included Tochka Bank, Mail.ru, VK, Rosselkhozbank, Alfa-Bank, VTB, Ozon, Avito and Russia’s Gosuslugi government services portal. The timing of the outages coincided with the reported drone strike, although a direct technical connection between the attack and the nationwide disruptions has not been independently established.
There has been no confirmed assessment of the damage to the data centre’s operational infrastructure or the potential impact on Sberbank’s processing capacity.
