President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces have intensified attacks on Ukraine’s data‑centre infrastructure, a move he says is intended to cripple ordinary citizens’ ability to stay online, study and earn a living.

The strikes, which have hit facilities in the western city of Lviv and the capital Kyiv, have knocked out broadband services for tens of thousands of households, according to local internet providers.

"These attacks are aimed at ordinary life – at people’s ability to stay connected, to study, to work," Zelensky told a press conference on Tuesday.

Telecommunications companies reported that the Lviv data centre, a key hub for regional internet traffic, suffered a power outage after a missile strike early on Monday, forcing providers to reroute traffic through backup servers that are already operating at capacity.

In Kyiv, the Ministry of Digital Transformation confirmed that a separate strike on a server farm disrupted access to several government e‑services, including the online tax portal and digital health records, for an estimated 200,000 users.

Ukrainian officials say the attacks are part of a broader Russian strategy to undermine civilian morale by targeting the digital backbone that supports remote education, telemedicine and the burgeoning freelance economy.

Impact on daily life

Schools that rely on online platforms for lessons have been forced to revert to paper‑based teaching, a setback for a system already strained by displacement. Parents in affected areas reported that children were unable to submit assignments, while university students missed deadlines for scholarship applications that require internet access.

Freelancers and small businesses, many of whom shifted to remote work after the invasion began in 2022, have seen project deliveries delayed as video‑conferencing tools become unreliable. "I lost a client because the connection dropped during a pitch," one Kyiv‑based graphic designer told the BBC.

Government response

The Ukrainian government has pledged to reinforce cyber‑defences and accelerate the deployment of mobile broadband units to the hardest‑hit regions. Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said the armed forces are coordinating with the National Guard to protect critical infrastructure from further strikes.

International partners, including the United States and several EU members, have condemned the targeting of civilian digital infrastructure, calling it a breach of international humanitarian law. NATO’s spokesperson noted that the attacks "underscore the evolving nature of modern conflict, where the information sphere is as contested as the battlefield."

Resilience amid digital warfare

Despite the disruptions, many Ukrainians have turned to satellite internet services and community Wi‑Fi hubs set up by NGOs to maintain connectivity. Volunteer groups in Lviv have distributed portable routers to families displaced by the fighting, allowing them to continue online schooling and remote work.

Analysts warn that sustained pressure on digital services could erode public confidence and hamper reconstruction efforts once hostilities cease. Yet, the same observers note that Ukraine’s rapid pivot to digital solutions over the past four years has built a degree of redundancy that may blunt the long‑term impact of these attacks.As the war enters its fifth year, the battle over data centres highlights a growing dimension of the conflict: the fight to control the flow of information and the tools that everyday people rely on to survive.