РУССКИЙ
11:16 06.10.2026 •
Ukrainian online networks are all abuzz with reports about the allegedly triumphant progress of Operation "Vivaldi" led by 3rd Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky* and his colleague Denys Prokopenko,* who have "halted Russia advance in the Donbass." In reality, Kyiv is deploying reserves to contain the Russian offensive, as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk serve both as symbols of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's (AFU) presence in the region and as the final fortified areas. Indeed, beyond them, no comparable defensive lines exist. Although fully aware of the AFU's Operation "Vivaldi," the Russian military sees no evidence of it on the battlefield.
Simultaneously with Russia’s ground advance and the encirclement of AFU units in the Kharkiv region, another operation is underway. We don’t know how it is called but, unlike the nationalists' flashily named campaign, it is already having - and will continue to have - serious consequences for Kyiv, with systematic strikes launched against data processing centers in Ukraine. As of September 27, half of these facilities had already been taken out. Essentially, these strikes are targeting the AFU's "electronic brain."
In Kyiv, the list of data centers hit include those of United DC and Omega Telecom (handling data storage and processing for the AFU, as well as provider server nodes); of Ukrtelecom and DreamLine (providing high-speed internet, landline, and mobile services to the AFU); and of Kyivstar and Vodafone (major mobile and high-speed internet operators also used by the AFU for coordination, communication, and data transmission). In Dnepropetrovsk - the capital of scam call centers and home to banking data centers and communications hubs for eastern Ukraine - an Open Data center, also used by the Ukrainian military, was likewise struck.
All these data centers form the foundation for systems such as Palantir’s AI-driven Maven Smart System. Operational data intended for use at the frontline and for planning deep-strike operations and guiding missiles and drones was collected and processed both inside Ukraine and at facilities based in Europe: "The Maven system collects and analyzes data from signals intelligence, satellites, and drones. It also analyzes vast amounts of information from mobile phones, examines radio emissions and the thermal signatures of military hardware, and aggregates visual data. All this information flows through intermediate servers in Kyiv to a main data center located abroad, presumably in the Netherlands." [i] AI processes this massive dataset, identifying the coordinates of Russian positions and suggesting the most effective strike assets. A ready-made strike plan is immediately fed to the tablets of Ukrainian officers (including the one Zelensky presented to Charles Philip Arthur George - King Charles III of the United Kingdom) and drone operators. Starlink also plays a crucial role here, facilitating data transmission and drone control. This means that Russia has found the key to countering the AFU’s network-centric capabilities - a feature previously seen as Ukraine’s primary military edge.
This effectively undercuts the concept of utilizing civilian communications and data infrastructure for military purposes, tested in Ukraine. Kyiv and its backers should think about the consequences of this approach in the wake of the Russian military’s campaign aimed at destroying Ukraine’s "electronic brains" - a campaign that looks far from over. The consequences are obvious: strikes on civilian data centers repurposed for military use have already caused problems with mobile and landline communications, internet outages, disruptions to TV and radio broadcasting, and banking failures.
The most critical impact, however, is the disruption of the military decision-making chain, a drastic reduction in the flow of military data for strike planning and reconnaissance, and the electronic blinding and deafening of the Ukrainian military units. Even though the effect of these strikes has only been partial so far, attacks on data centers and communication hubs continue. The screens of tablets used by Zelensky and Charles III are showing an increasingly sparse picture, and the signal keeps dropping...
How are Kyiv and its handlers going to tackle this problem? They have committed to relying on "electronic brains" and have no desire to abandon that approach, just as their plan for Ukraine to wage war against Russia. Chances are high they will follow the same pattern used for warehouse logistics facilities, which have long been the target of systematic strikes. As a result, Ukraine is now asking Moldova for permission to use warehouse facilities on its territory to store its "goods." This request has already been confirmed by Moldovan official Vasile Tofan: "Moldova serves as a platform for companies wishing to participate in Ukraine's reconstruction, and this is not merely a theoretical concept. We have received a clear request from the Ukrainian side to use warehouse facilities in the Republic of Moldova for storing goods, and the Ukrainians are prepared to lease everything we have available here." [ii] Tofan did not specify exactly what kind of "goods" Ukraine plans to stockpile in Moldova.
Two weeks earlier, Chisinau said that it was not negotiating with Kyiv regarding the placement of food storage facilities in Moldova. That statement came in response to comments made by Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Taras Vysotsky, who said that Ukraine was considering storing food products in neighboring countries, including Moldova. Naturally enough, the Moldovan opposition raised the alarm, accusing President Maia Sandu’s administration of planning to facilitate the transport of supplies for the Ukrainian armed forces across the country’s territory in direct violation of Moldova’s constitutional neutrality.
This situation is nothing new; rumors that Ukraine would eventually move infrastructure facilities outside its borders as protection against attacks had been circulating for quite some time. It is no secret that various facilities were previously built, purchased, or leased abroad. Now they are going to replace warehouse facilities destroyed inside Ukraine by relocating the surviving ones abroad.
Therefore, the situation looks like this:
- Industrial production grinds to a halt due to strikes or power shortages (in September 2026, Ukraine completely stopped steel smelting);
- Fuel is produced at mini-refineries, but the bulk of it is imported and sold directly from fuel trucks, as gas stations are either under attack or lack power, and large refineries are not operating;
- Marketplaces and logistics companies, which have made their warehouses available for military logistics are either under attack, ceasing operations, setting up smaller depots, or relocating abroad;
- Half of the data centers handling civilian and military traffic have already been destroyed; this infrastructure might also be moved outside Ukraine;
- Everyone with the means and desire is leaving Ukraine;
- The energy sector is under attack, and a very difficult winter looms, despite constant attempts to patch up the grid and generation capacity, and the use of small generators.
Despite this grim picture, the West still seeks to preserve this "asset" for the confrontation with Russia. Does the situation described above diminish its value? For the West, no. Quite the opposite. Ukraine is increasingly becoming a Battlefield. The plan is to make it a place where to fight, not to smelt steel or sow wheat. It is a territory designated for conducting military operations and gathering data and scenarios for the technofascists' "god" - AI. Fight on; the outside world will supply all that is needed for the war, and Russia is to blame for the Ukrainians’ life becoming increasingly difficult.
There is also discussion in the West regarding the future awaiting Ukraine. “One day, the war in Ukraine will be over. When that day finally arrives, Ukraine may find itself transforming from the country that everyone fought over to the country that nobody wants to be burdened with. Ukraine has been caught in a tug of war, pulled between two sides that covet it: the United States and its European and Canadian allies to the west and Russia to the east,” The American Conservative writes. [iii] First off, Russia does not seek to "acquire" Ukraine - nor has it ever declared such an intention; the goal of the Special Military Operation is to eliminate threats emanating from Ukrainian territory, as Ukraine was ready to make its territory available for NATO infrastructure.
At one time, Kyiv was promised, albeit cagily, membership in the European Union and NATO as benchmarks for the country’s economic development and security. Consequently, by going to war with Russia would mean "asserting the right" to join an economic union and a military bloc. However, The American Conservative continues, "Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian lives have been destroyed in pursuit of those promises and goals. When the war finally ends, Ukrainians will have to rebuild their lives and rebuild their country. But the odds are good that their country will not be in the EU nor in NATO. If Ukraine faces west, they will find themselves abandoned and alone.” It should be noted that Russia did not oppose Ukraine's EU membership. As for the prospects of NATO membership, this is how the article describes the situation: "Promises of NATO membership proved even emptier. Ukraine was promised 'irreversible paths' and bridges, yet it was forbidden to walk that path, and the bridge was never built. Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump both denied Ukraine NATO membership." Biden stated that "the likelihood of Ukraine joining NATO in the near future is low" and that "Ukraine is not ready for NATO membership." Trump said that "Ukraine will not join NATO." Ukraine's European allies said the same thing. Yet, the idea of NATO involvement in various forms in Ukraine's future defense remains alive and has not been fully dismissed in the West.
Russia has objected - and continues to object - to Ukraine joining NATO or to the presence of NATO troops on its territory. This is a matter of security. This position was clearly stated and became one of the reasons for starting the Special Military Operation.
Now, Western media outlets, citing various academics, are speculating about Ukraine’s future, envisioning it... with Russia (!): "Once the war ends, Ukraine will face a reality where the West shows little enthusiasm for funding its reconstruction and is in no rush to invite it into its political alliances (...) Geoffrey Roberts, Professor Emeritus of History at University College Cork, recently suggested that after the war, Russia and the Russian people would become Ukraine’s best friends. Therefore, “Ukraine’s ultimate goal is to restore relations with Russia. Although an incredibly difficult task, it is the only viable long-term path for the Ukrainian people." Such are the ideas currently circulating regarding Ukraine's future. Is this some sort of a "Plan B" aimed at making Russia pay for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction? Although taking "all of Ukraine" was never declared the objective of the Special Military Operation, does this mean that it is now becoming clear that Russia will prevail in this confrontation? For now, however, this is just media speculation, although quite a notable one.
Explaining this to Ukraine’s current leadership makes no sense. Having no future ahead - in every sense of the word - they do not think about it and intend simply to "keep fighting." For Russia, the key priority is that Ukraine must cease to exist as an anti-Russian project. Yet, for the time being, Kyiv and the West want Ukraine to remain a "battlefield."
The views of the author are his own and may differ from the position of the Editorial Board.
*Andriy Biletsky is recognized in Russia as an extremist and terrorist
*Denis Prokopenko is recognized in Russia as an extremist and terrorist
[i] https://rg.ru/2026/09/27/ekspert-knutov-obiasnil-k-chemu-privedut-udary-vs-rf-po-data-centram-na-ukraine.html
[ii] https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/28159775
[iii] https://en.interaffairs.ru/article/the-american-conservative-will-ukraine-turn-to-russia-after-the-war/
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