Insurance rates for Russian data centers covering terrorism and sabotage have risen sharply, according to a report by Kommersant on 13 November, with some premiums increasing more than 100-fold since October. The shift follows a reassessment of risks after a series of drone strikes that are allegedly being carried out against Russian infrastructure and industrial facilities. The changes affect insurers, brokers, the reinsurance market, and operators of IT infrastructure, for whom insurance is becoming a material operating cost and, in some cases, a condition for leases and loans.
Key Takeaways: Broker Remind data indicate that tariffs were 0.03–0.06% of the insured sum in the first half of 2026, before rising to 1–5% from October 1. AlfaStrakhovanie said current rates start at 1%. The Russian National Reinsurance Company set a 1% base tariff for data centers with an insured sum of 10 billion rubles.
Market participants attribute the revision to a higher probability of insured events. Since October, the Russian National Reinsurance Company, fully owned by the Bank of Russia, has applied a new policy for terrorism and sabotage risks. According to an RNPK presentation, the base tariff for data centers with an insured sum of 10 billion rubles is 1%; an annex to the standard contract separately lists facilities reinsured on individual terms. Insurance is needed not only to cover physical damage to buildings and equipment but also to compensate for financial losses caused by business interruption.
Drone-attack risk remains the central factor. In early October, drone strikes reportedly disrupted the operations of three Yandex data centers, while facilities linked to VK and Sberbank were also reported to have been affected during the autumn. Data centers are high-concentration risk objects: expensive servers, engineering systems, and power sources are located on a single site, so one event can damage multiple types of equipment, halt operations, and affect several facilities. Pricing depends on location, distance from areas where attacks have previously been recorded, and the level of physical protection, including shielding, special nets, and electronic-warfare systems.
Kommersant, citing CNews, outlined some insurer requirements. In July 2026, when reviewing insurance options for data center equipment in Moscow and the Moscow region, VSK described the protective structures required: they must withstand the direct kinetic impact and blast effect of an aircraft-type or multirotor drone weighing up to 350 kg and moving at speeds of up to 350 km/h. Insurers are expected to conduct separate audits of facilities, with rates differentiated by protection level and regional risk. For large data centers, the availability of insurance may remain a mandatory condition in lease and credit agreements.
Source: kun.uz