Russian IT infrastructure provider Selectel plans to open its new data center, Yurlovsky, by the end of 2025. CEO Oleg Lyubimov told CNews that the facility will have a capacity of 10 MW and accommodate around 1,000 server racks.
Originally, the company aimed to launch the site in early 2025, but decided instead to “tighten up” its existing Moscow and St. Petersburg facilities. As Lyubimov put it, “We postponed part of our equipment payments because we didn’t want to spend borrowed capital ahead of time”. Sensible move — even in the world of data, there’s no harm in keeping the wallet closed until the rack doors open.
Who Will Benefit from the New Location
The Yurlovsky data center will be especially suitable for Moscow-based businesses running high-load services, AI workloads, and corporate cloud solutions that require low latency and rock-solid connectivity. For companies unwilling to “move out” to other regions, the new site will feel like a server farm just around the corner.
Billions for AI Infrastructure
Beyond construction plans, Selectel is investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Lyubimov revealed that the company will allocate ₽10 billion (about $110 million) to AI-related products by 2031 — investments aimed at powering clients’ machine learning and AI workloads.
That amount represents only about 20% of Selectel’s total infrastructure investments — proof that the company’s ambitions extend well beyond one data center and deep into the realm where silicon thinks faster than finance departments approve budgets.
M&A Deals Under Consideration
Selectel is also exploring several M&A opportunities, though details remain under wraps. Still, the direction is clear: the company isn’t just building data centers — it’s positioning itself for a future where strategic acquisitions could be as crucial as power capacity and cooling systems.