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Rewritten article:

Russian Data Centers Targeted in Cyber Warfare

Several Russian online services have been affected by cyber attacks, including a popular dating app, a real estate aggregator, a book self-publishing platform, and the website of a leading professional soccer club in the Russian Premier League, according to Reuters.

This latest incident highlights the increasing use of data centers as targets during times of conflict. Following the US and Israel’s attack on Iran earlier this year, Iranian drones retaliated by destroying multiple Amazon data centers located in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has continued to launch large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, targeting critical infrastructure such as power grids, transportation hubs, and residential buildings.

While facing a shortage of interceptors capable of defending against Russian missiles and drones, the Ukrainian military has ramped up its own drone strike operations, focusing on Russian military installations, shipping routes in the Black and Azov Seas, and energy infrastructure like oil refineries. Recent targets also include warehouses belonging to Russian companies Wildberries and Ozone, resembling the Russian version of Amazon.

The escalation of conflict was further evident when two commercial ships were sunk in the Black Sea on October 5 and 6, within the exclusive economic zones of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria, following coordinated air and sea drone strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attributed these attacks to Russia.

Source: arstechnica.com