Firefighters from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) work to extinguish an office building in Kyiv’s Solomyansky district after being attacked by a Russian Guerin 5 jet-propelled attack drone during an air raid on the Ukrainian capital, September 23, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Ribkos | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Russia continues to shell Ukraine’s data centers and communications infrastructure as part of a new attack on the country’s capital.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russian forces stepped up attacks on Kiev and other cities overnight, launching a combination of anti-ship and ballistic missiles and dozens of jet-powered drones, but Ukraine’s air defenses are struggling to intercept them.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it struck multiple targets in Kiev on Tuesday, including a locomotive depot housing the FP-5 Flamingo ground-based missile and a warehouse for its parts.
The attack also hit the Bi-mobile data center, which the Russian Ministry of Defense announced is one of Kiev’s main internet exchange points, and the Parkovy data center.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian data centers and internet providers in recent days, seeking to disrupt the flow of information in the country. Ukrainian officials expressed deep concern over the attack and said there was an urgent need for the country to respond quickly to missile and drone threats.
Ukraine is trying to defray the costs of Russia’s more than four-and-a-half year war against Ukraine, which has targeted the country’s oil refineries and logistics hubs.
Meanwhile, NATO on Tuesday condemned Russia’s nuclear threat after publicly acknowledging tense exchanges with Russia.
The military alliance said it has made clear to Russia that it is a “defense alliance” and that any activities or exercises “do not pose a danger to any region of Russia.”
“Signs of despair”
NATO was reacting on Monday to a warning from the Russian embassy in Belgium that accused the alliance of escalating the situation around Kaliningrad, Russia’s small enclave on the Baltic Sea.
The embassy said NATO’s “reckless and irresponsible” approach regarding the strategic outpost sandwiched between NATO members Poland and Lithuania was increasing the risk of direct military conflict.
Russia’s state-run TASS news agency added that Moscow was ready to use its full military arsenal if NATO tried to blockade the area.
In the early morning hours of September 30, 2026, Ukrainian air defense systems are seen activated during a missile and drone attack on Kiev during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sergei Supinsky | AFP | Getty Images
“We strongly condemn any threat of force, including irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. We call on Russia to end its unnecessary war in Ukraine,” a NATO spokesperson said in a statement shared with CNBC.
“Russia’s use of hybrid tactics is a sign of desperation. However, we will not be deterred from supporting Ukraine. We have what it takes to defend every inch of our Allied territory and to ensure we are strong, ready and able to counter any threat,” they added.
The exchange reaffirmed the deep tensions in diplomatic relations since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
