Putin Vows Retribution for Attacks on Russian Data Centers While Downplaying Damage to Refineries

Oct. 16, 2026 Sputnik / Mikhail Metzel / Pool via REUTERS President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday that Russia is actively retaliating in response to recent Ukrainian attacks on its data centers, while simultaneously brushing off recent drone attacks on oil refineries. “They took the first step and we began to answer. Now they’re squealing over energy, as well as other facilities, including data centers. They started it. They shouldn’t have started it,” Putin said via video link at a business forum. “Before taking this step, they should have thought carefully about the consequences,” he told the Delovaya Rossiya association. His first public comments acknowledging drone attacks targeting Yandex and Sberbank data centers this month contradict the Russian Defense Ministry’s own reports that it began striking Ukrainian data centers last month. At the same forum, Putin downplayed the impact of recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, including a fire at Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery on Thursday. “They hit here and there. Nothing particularly significant, but nevertheless they persist,” the Russian leader said of the refinery attacks. Putin also admitted that Russian security services failed to anticipate attacks targeting commercial logistics hubs like Wildberries and Ozon. “They’re constantly taking steps that, frankly, we probably should have foreseen, but we thought they wouldn’t think of doing it. They thought of it,” he said, responding to Wildberries co-founder Tatiana Kim. Read more about: Yandex , Drones Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Government Says It Helped Yandex Migrate Systems After Data Center Attacks A Rostelecom executive also called on the company to construct so-called "doomsday" backup sites. 1 Min read Yandex Waives Cloud and Software Fees After Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Data Centers Yandex stock dropped 77 billion rubles ($918.5 million) over two days of trading on the Moscow Exchange, marking a 5.4% fall in market capitalization. 2 Min read Russia Weighs Drone Defenses for Data Centers After ‘Unprecedented’ Yandex Attacks The strikes on Yandex data centers have caused server outages that triggered service disruptions for users. 2 Min read Ukrainian Drones Hit Yandex Data Center, Industrial Facilities Across Russia The attack marks the first confirmed strike against Russian data infrastructure, weeks after Moscow did the same. 2 Min read