Russia has experienced problems with beer supplies following drone attacks on Yandex’s data centres. Due to disruptions in electronic document processing, brewers have faced difficulties in issuing delivery notes and dispatching products to shops. Russian brewers have even appealed to retail chains, asking them not to impose fines for any potential delays. And although there is no talk of a nationwide beer shortage as yet, the situation has taken on almost strategic significance: a little longer and Russians will have to watch Russian propaganda on the telly whilst sober.
- Drone attacks on Yandex’s data centres have caused disruptions to Russia’s online services.
- Russian brewers have encountered difficulties whilst completing the paperwork for shipping their products.
- The problems affected, in particular, the companies «Baltika» and «Napitki Vmeste».
- Manufacturers have asked retail chains not to impose fines on them for any potential delays in deliveries.
In Russia, beer cannot reach the shops: electronic delivery notes have failed
The problems began following drone attacks on data centres «Yandex» in the Ryazan, Kaluga and Vladimir regions of the Russian Federation from 8 to 11 October. Damage to the server infrastructure led to disruptions in the operations of companies that provide electronic document management services for Russian businesses.
Among the services affected were «Kaluga Astral» and Utrace. Due to technical difficulties, some breweries were unable to issue waybills and accompanying documents in a timely manner or to transmit information to the labelling system.
And this is where an unexpected peculiarity of the Russian economy came to light: there is beer, the brewery is operating, the customer is waiting, but an electronic delivery note is preventing the goods from being dispatched.
It would seem that, after years of talk about Russia’s technological independence, one might have expected anything. But the fact that yet another server outage has thrown the timely restocking of beer shelves into doubt has proved to be a particularly ironic consequence of the attacks.
Russian brewers have asked not to be penalised for the delays
As early as 12 October, the Russian Association of Beer, Malt and Beverage Producers sent a letter to retail chains warning of potential supply issues. The difficulties primarily affected large producers, in particular the companies «Baltika» and «Napitki Vmeste».
Industry representatives have asked retail chains to treat technical glitches as force majeure and not to impose penalties for delays. The situation proved so problematic that businesses were forced to resort to old-fashioned methods — paper delivery notes and manual document processing.
In a country where the authorities are constantly talking about digital sovereignty, a simple sheet of paper has suddenly become one of the most reliable tools for saving the beer supply chain.
A real blow to Russia’s strategic reserves
Of course, beer is not officially part of the Russian army’s strategic reserves. However, given the amount of attention Russian propaganda devotes to demonstrating its own might, the problems with delivering the frothy drink have a particularly comical effect.
Whilst Russian federal television channels tell viewers about their country’s successes on a daily basis, beer producers are trying to sort things out with the electronic systems so they can dispatch the next consignment of goods.
If this trend continues, a genuine crisis could arise on Russian television: Viewers will have to assess the propagandists’ claims without the usual frothy accompaniment. And then the most pressing question on the evening political talk shows will no longer be who is to blame for Russia’s problems, but why the bottle of beer didn’t arrive in time for the programme to start.
