Russian official proposes data centers in disused coal mines to shield from drone strikes

Kemerovo region governor Ilya Seredyuk proposed placing data centers up to 300 meters deep in depleted open-pit coal mines to protect them from Ukrainian drone strikes. He said the sites would be cheaper than surface reclamation, with pit water and subterranean aquifers serving as natural chillers to cut cooling costs.

• Proposal calls for data centers up to 300 m deep in depleted coal pits
• Pit water and aquifers would serve as natural cooling
• Parks above the sites could help conceal their location
• Idea follows drone attacks on Yandex and VK data centers