--- title: "Russian Ballistic Attack Destroys Datagroup Data Center in Kyiv: Company Declares Object Impossible to Restore" description: "On the night of October 19, a Russian ballistic attack destroyed the Datagroup data center in Kyiv. The company announced the impossibility of restoring the facility and the migration of services to backup sites." date: 2026-10-19T07:54:30.976Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/destruction-of-datagroup-data-center-in-kyiv tags: [datagroup, kyiv, data-center, russia-ukraine-war, telecom] author: "Roman V." publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Russian Ballistic Attack Destroys Datagroup Data Center in Kyiv: Company Declares Object Impossible to Restore ![A man in a jacket looks confused holding his head and a smartphone in front of the Datagroup data center building](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/19/unichtozhenie-data-tsentra-datagrup-v-kieve/unichtozhenie-data-tsentra-datagrup-v-kieve-1.webp) ## Key Points - On the night of October 19, 2026, a Russian ballistic attack completely destroyed the Datagroup data center in Kyiv. - The company stated that restoring the facility is impossible, and services are being transferred to backup sites. - Datagroup provides telecom services to subscribers in over 90 localities across Ukraine. - The strike was part of a series of attacks on data centers, following the Parkovy (October 1) and Omega Telecom (October 6) facilities. - The Russian Ministry of Defense claims the facility provided intelligence for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, whereas the company describes it as a civilian telecom asset. On the night of October 19, 2026, a Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv completely destroyed the data center belonging to the telecommunications company Datagroup. The company announced this in an official statement cited by RBC-Ukraine. According to Datagroup, the facility's equipment and infrastructure have been rendered inoperable, and restoring it or resuming operations at the previous location is impossible. ### Consequences for Customers and Switch to Redundant Systems The company emphasized that customer services continue to be provided from backup sites. Datagroup is a Ukrainian telecommunications service provider that delivers electronic communications to subscribers in more than 90 localities across the country. The destruction of one of its key facilities delivered a serious blow to the operator's infrastructure, but, according to the company, switching to backup capacities helped avoid a complete cessation of services. Additional details regarding the scale of the attack's impact on individual services were not disclosed by the company. ### Context: A Series of Strikes on Telecom Infrastructure The attack on the Datagroup facility is part of a continuing series of strikes against Kyiv's telecom infrastructure. As media outlets recall, on October 1 October, Russian shelling destroyed the Parkovy data center, which sustained critical damage and completely ceased operations. On October 6, the Kyiv-based Omega Telecom data center reported shutting down following a massive attack. According to Hromadske, starting September 23, Russian forces began systematically targeting data center equipment in Ukraine; Datagroup itself reported damage to its data center on September 24, with attacks on similar facilities continuing on September 25 and 26. ### Details of the Night Attack and Casualties According to Hromadske, overnight Ukraine was subjected to an attack by Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and 269 strike UAVs; Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 243 drones and four cruise missiles. In Kyiv, the strikes killed a 21-year-old woman and injured five others. According to sources of Radio Liberty journalist Alex Raufoglu, the ballistic strike on Kyiv was once again carried out "without warning." Previously, following the strikes starting September 23, about 100,000 households in Kyiv and the surrounding region experienced internet disruptions. ### Position of the Russian Side The Russian publication Argumenty i Fakty, citing statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense, characterizes the targeted facility differently: according to the ministry, strikes on data centers are aimed at affecting Ukraine's military communications, and Moscow claims that the Kyiv Datagroup data center processed and transmitted intelligence data in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thus, the parties disagree on the nature and purpose of the targeted facility, although the fact of the strike and the destruction of the infrastructure are acknowledged by both sides. ## Accounts differ ### Character and purpose of the targeted facility - **Datagroup Company (Ukraine):** The targeted facility is a civilian telecom data center providing electronic communications to subscribers in over 90 localities; equipment and infrastructure are completely disabled, services are being transferred to backup sites. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiyani-znishchili-data-tsentr-datagrup-1792396162.html)) - **Russian Ministry of Defense / Argumenty i Fakty:** Strikes on data centers are aimed at affecting Ukraine's military communications; the Kyiv Datagroup data center ensured the processing and transfer of intelligence data in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. ([argumenti.ru](https://argumenti.ru/army/v-kieve-porazhen-data-centr-krupneyshego-operatora-svyazi-datagrup-1009992)) *Where they agree:* Both sides acknowledge that on the night of October 19, 2026, the Kyiv Datagroup data center was struck and its infrastructure destroyed. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Россияне уничтожили дата-центр "Датагруп" в Киеве](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiyani-znishchili-data-tsentr-datagrup-1792396162.html) - Primary source: the company reported the complete disablement of data center equipment and infrastructure, the impossibility of restoration, and the transition to backup sites; Datagroup serves 90+ localities. - [Восстановить невозможно. россияне баллистическим ударом уничтожили дата-центр «Датагруп» в ...](https://hromadske.ua/ru/voyna/272774-vosstanovit-nevozmozhno-rossiyane-ballisticheskim-udarom-unichtozhili-data-tsentr-datagrup-v-kieve) - Attack details (Iskander-M/S-400, Iskander-K, 269 UAVs; 243 drones and 4 cruise missiles intercepted), casualties in Kyiv (1 dead, 5 injured), systematic strikes on data centers since September 23, 100k households without internet, damage to Datagroup data center on September 24. - [В Киеве поражён дата-центр крупнейшего оператора связи «Датагруп»](https://argumenti.ru/army/v-kieve-porazhen-data-centr-krupneyshego-operatora-svyazi-datagrup-1009992) - Russian version: according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, strikes on data centers affect Ukraine's military communications, and the Datagroup facility allegedly processed and transmitted intelligence data for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This contradicts the civilian nature of the object as stated by the company. ## FAQ ### What happened to the Datagroup data center? On the night of October 19, 2026, as a result of a Russian ballistic attack on Kyiv, the equipment and infrastructure of the Datagroup data center were completely disabled. The company stated that it is impossible to restore the facility and continue its operations at the previous location. ### Has Datagroup stopped serving customers? No. According to the company, customer services continue to be provided from backup locations. Datagroup serves subscribers in more than 90 localities in Ukraine. ### Is this the first strike on data centers in Kyiv? No. Previously, on October 1, the Parkovy data center was destroyed, on October 6 Omega Telecom announced the cessation of its operations, and since September 23, according to Hromadske, systematic strikes on data center equipment have been underway.