Drone Strike on Russian Data Centre Highlights How Physical Attacks Can Disrupt Online Services

Thousands of Russian users reported problems with VKontakte (VK), the country's largest social network, and its music streaming service over the weekend. The disruptions began on Sunday, after a Ukrainian drone strike on a VK data centre in the Leningrad region during the night of October 18. Users said they struggled to load news feeds and play music. VK confirmed the facility was targeted but denied that its services were affected. It did not say how much damage was done or how many servers were hit.

Independent monitoring told a different story. Downdetector logged about 6,600 problem reports on Sunday, and Sboy recorded roughly 2,100 complaints. NetBlocks said VK-related connectivity fell to 56% of normal levels. By Monday complaints had fallen, but users still reported trouble uploading photos and videos, logging in and sending messages. It was not immediately clear whether the strike caused the disruptions.

Drone maker Fire Point said its FP-1 drones hit several targets in the region, including the VK site, and claimed significant damage. It described the facility as a key data centre storing and processing user content, citing earlier figures of more than 20,000 servers in 640 racks. Ukrainian media and open-source analysts reported extensive damage, including a partially collapsed roof, but these reports could not be independently verified.