Ukrainian drones hit Russian Sberbank data centre
According to Reuters, the Russian bank's services continued to function normally after the attack.
Follow-up to: New Russian drone attacks hit Ukrainian cities Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 08:59
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Ukrainian drones hit a large data centre belonging to Russian bank Sberbank in the Saratov region on Wednesday. A senior Sberbank executive says the systems and services did not go down; it is unclear whether any supercomputers on site were damaged.
The attack took place near Balakovo on the Volga, in the Saratov region. Sberbank confirmed to reporters that the data processing centre had been attacked. According to the bank's initial statements, services continued to function normally and there was no widespread disruption to the systems.
This is a new development in a series of attacks on Russian digital infrastructure. Russia carried out fresh drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy facilities earlier this week. Ukraine says attacks on Russian digital targets are a response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The affected centre is owned by Sberbank, Russia's largest bank and also a major technology developer. Among other things, the bank is working on the GigaChat language model. According to Reuters, Sberbank, together with technology company Yandex, is one of Russia's most important players in artificial intelligence.
The precise extent of the damage is still unknown. Sberbank and Yandex have not said whether any supercomputers were damaged. According to plans previously reported by Russian state media, the centre in Balakovo was to become one of the sites for a large supercomputer that is due to become operational in 2027.
Reuters reports that the data centre is located next to the Balakovo nuclear power plant and the Saratov hydroelectric power station. This makes the site strategically sensitive, but no indications have been reported that the attack affected the safety or operation of those energy facilities.
The attack shows that Russia's digital infrastructure is becoming an increasingly prominent part of the war. That does not automatically mean that banks or internet services will be disrupted for a prolonged period: in this case, Sberbank says that continuity was maintained. Independent information about the exact damage and who carried out the attack is still lacking.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A Sberbank data centre in Saratov was attacked.
- Sberbank says its systems and services are functioning normally.
- The extent of any damage to supercomputers is unknown.
Left
Arguments The attack underlines that digital infrastructure and energy facilities become vulnerable civilian targets in wars. This view emphasises restraint, the protection of civilians and international agreements on critical infrastructure.
Values International law, human security and limiting escalation.
Consequences More attacks could increase the digital and economic damage to both societies and further narrow diplomatic avenues.
Centre
Arguments Ukraine has an interest in reducing Russia's war-fighting capacity, but attacks on infrastructure beyond the immediate front require assessment against proportionality and purpose. Transparent independent information is needed to make that assessment.
Values Proportionality, verification and continuity of essential services.
Consequences A targeted attack can have a military effect without widespread outages, but uncertainty about the damage makes the risk of escalation difficult to assess.
Right
Arguments Russia uses large-scale digital and physical attacks against Ukraine; Ukraine must therefore also be able to strike Russian strategic infrastructure to make deterrence credible.
Values National security, deterrence and the right to self-defence.
Consequences Continuing attacks may damage Russian resources, but also increase the risk of retaliation against financial and digital infrastructure.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key facts are based on a current Reuters report and a statement from Sberbank. Uncertainties about the material damage are explicitly presented as uncertain.
- confirmed A Ukrainian drone attack hit a Sberbank data centre in the Saratov region on 14 October. — Reported by Reuters; Sberbank confirmed the attack. source
- confirmed Sberbank says its systems and services continued to operate normally. — Statement by first deputy chairman of the management board Alexander Vedyakhin, quoted by Reuters. source
- confirmed It is unclear whether any supercomputers were damaged. — Reuters reports that Sberbank and Yandex have made no statements on the matter. source
- confirmed The centre is located near Balakovo in the Saratov region. — Location mentioned in the Reuters report. source
- confirmed Ukraine says it is responding to Russian attacks on Ukrainian digital infrastructure. — Reuters attributes this position to Ukraine. source
Editor's note
Reuters reported the attack and Sberbank's statement. The extent of the damage to supercomputers and Ukrainian responsibility have not been independently established.Sources
- Ukrainian drones hit Russia's biggest data centre — Reuters
- Ukrainian drones hit Russia's biggest data centre — AOL, op basis van Reuters
The story so far
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 08:59 New Russian drone attacks hit Ukrainian cities
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 11:29 Ukrainian drones hit Russian Sberbank data centre (this article)
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