Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed private data center operators to set aside 10% of their capacity for potential government use, according to a decree signed Nov. 2 and posted on Russia's official legal portal. The order creates a system allowing authorities to request reserved resources from non-state data centers, with a newly established government subcommission holding the power to claim that reserved capacity when needed. Operators have 10 days from the decree's entry into force to comply with the requirement, and once a decision is made, they must provide access within 24 hours.
The decree follows a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian data centers in October. Yandex, the country's largest technology company, had three of its facilities targeted, with two shutting down and disrupting services for businesses and consumers. Sberbank and VK data centers were also hit, though their operations reportedly continued. The decree's preamble characterizes the measures as an urgent response to the actions of foreign states, though how much the reported drone attacks influenced the decision remains unclear. The order also permits temporary use of computing capacity located outside Russia, subject to approval by the Federal Security Service, or FSB.
The report states that the measure gives Russian authorities a more direct role in allocating privately operated digital infrastructure, raising questions about how data center companies will manage capacity, costs, and service commitments. The 24-hour compliance requirement is particularly significant, according to the report. Beyond the immediate security context, the order gives Russian authorities a formal mechanism to access capacity operated by private companies, which could reduce operators' flexibility to allocate resources entirely according to commercial demand.
For private data center operators in Russia, the new requirement could complicate capacity planning and commercial hosting arrangements. Reserving a portion of infrastructure for potential government use may limit how much capacity operators can commit to paying customers. Data center operators may need to maintain sufficient technical and operational readiness to provide reserved capacity on short notice, potentially complicating existing hosting arrangements and capacity planning. The actual financial and operational impact will depend on how the reservation requirement is implemented, whether the government activates the reserved resources, and what compensation arrangements apply. Businesses relying on third-party hosting may face degraded performance with little warning, though the decree doesn't establish that existing customers will experience slower services or outages.
For Russia's technology sector, the longer-term question is how much flexibility private operators will retain as the government assumes a greater role in directing data center resources. The policy's effects on costs, service availability, and investment will become clearer as implementation begins. The provision allowing temporary use of computing resources outside Russia, subject to FSB approval, adds another consideration for operators with international infrastructure, with its practical implications depending on how authorities interpret and enforce the requirement. The decree represents a shift toward state control over private digital infrastructure amid ongoing conflict, with operators now navigating both commercial obligations and mandatory government access on 24-hour notice. Mandating reserve capacity during wartime may seem defensible from a national security perspective, but the absence of transparent compensation and appeals frameworks leaves private operators exposed to unpredictable seizures that could chill investment regardless of geopolitical justification.