Rechenzentrum
In short
A recent drone attack on a Yandex data centre in Vladimir has caused more than 80 services to fail partially or completely. This strike has disrupted essential digital tools used by millions of people in Russia.
In plain words
A data centre is a large building filled with powerful computers that store and process digital information. It acts as the brain for websites, apps, and cloud services.
A simple example
When you use a taxi app or order food online, the request travels to a data centre to find a driver or restaurant. If that centre is damaged, the app stops working.
Why it matters
Modern society relies on these facilities to keep the internet, banking, and transport running. Attacks on this infrastructure can cause massive economic disruption and social chaos.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse a data centre with a personal computer or a simple server room in an office.