Putin Signs Decree: Russian Private Data Centers Must Reserve 10% of Computing Capacity

We news, Nov. 3 — According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree requiring operators of non-state data centers in Russia to reserve 10% of their capacity to safeguard the operation of national IT infrastructure, which the government can rapidly call on when needed. The decree instructs Russia's Ministry of Digital Development to inventory the available capacity and site area of private data centers across the country. The decree will also establish a dedicated government commission that will order the activation of the reserved capacity, and operators must provide access within 24 hours of the decision being made. The decree also permits the temporary use of overseas data centers upon approval by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). In recent weeks, Russian data centers have repeatedly come under Ukrainian drone attacks, with facilities of Yandex and Sberbank hit in October.