Two AWS data centers directly hit by drones: Repair will take time

Amazon has now confirmed that the disruptions at its cloud subsidiary AWS are due to drone strikes. Two different data centers in the United Arab Emirates were directly hit by drones, the company announced. Another facility in Bahrain was affected by a drone strike nearby. The hits caused “structural damage” and also impacted the power supply. Fighting fires also led to water damage in some areas. While efforts are underway to restore full technical availability as quickly as possible, “given the nature of the physical damage involved, we expect recovery to be prolonged.”

Situation remains “unpredictable”

Overall, AWS lists 25 services that have been interrupted due to the damage, with 34 others reportedly impacted. The AWS region ME-CENTRAL-1 (UAE) is affected, where two so-called Availability Zones (mec1-az2 and mec1-az3) are severely impacted and only one is functioning normally. In the ME-SOUTH-1 (Bahrain) region, there are fewer disruptions. The most detailed statement to date also states, “The ongoing conflict in the region means that the broader operating environment in the Middle East remains unpredictable.” Those who have booked resources there are advised to back up their data and consider moving to another AWS region. Emergency plans should also be reviewed.

The data centers were damaged over the weekend. Initially, AWS only stated that “objects” were responsible. However, it was already suspected that there was a connection to the escalating conflict surrounding Iran. Israel and the USA began attacking the Islamic Republic on Saturday, killing its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran responded with airstrikes on various countries in the region. Since then, there have been numerous reports from the Gulf states of missile and drone strikes, and tens of thousands of people who were on vacation or merely transiting have been stranded.

(mho)