Putin Orders Private Data Centres to Reserve 10% Capacity

Why is Moscow reaching into private computing capacity? Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday requiring non-state data centre owners to set aside 10% of their capacity for Russian IT infrastructure. The Digital Development Ministry must now compile an inventory of capacity and floor space at private facilities across the country.

A special government commission will be able to order the reserved capacity to be released, and operators must provide access within 24 hours. The decree also permits temporary use of data centres abroad, subject to approval from the FSB. The measure gives the state a powerful lever over commercial computing resources during a period of heightened security concerns.

The Moscow Times, citing Reuters, noted Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian data centres in October, including facilities linked to Yandex and Sberbank. The decree shows how digital infrastructure has become part of the war's strategic landscape, and it may affect cloud customers, technology firms and any companies that rely on domestic hosting in Russia.