A Ukrainian drone strike has damaged a data centre belonging to Yandex, forcing the company to suspend operations at the facility located in Vladimir, east of Moscow. This marks the third attack on the Russian technology firm’s infrastructure within the past week.
Yandex, frequently referred to as “Russia’s Google,” stated that no injuries were reported at the Vladimir site. However, the damage has led to service outages for users relying on the company’s various platforms.
The latest incident follows strikes on Thursday and Friday that targeted Yandex facilities in Sasovo and Kaluga, respectively. These earlier attacks disrupted access to the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot, smart home devices, and other digital services. The firm noted that restoring connectivity is difficult and unpredictable given the extent of the damage to its five data centres.
This escalation in attacks on civilian infrastructure occurs as the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its fifth year. Kyiv has indicated that it is targeting assets that generate revenue for Moscow’s military efforts, aiming to force Russia to divert resources toward repairs.
The strikes come shortly after US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries to stabilize global diesel supplies, a comment that sparked diplomatic tension with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and drew criticism from European allies.
Meanwhile, Russian military activity against Ukraine continues. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, six people were injured overnight in Russian attacks across four districts in the Dnipropetrovsk region. On Saturday, local officials confirmed that at least 20 people, including four children, were killed in strikes on Zaporizhzhia.
Yandex, which also operates popular food-delivery and ride-hailing apps used by millions, emphasized that its data centres are critical to normal service operation. Previous Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centres have similarly caused internet outages and compelled some firms to relocate their servers abroad.
Yandex calls it unpredictable, but repeating the same attack so quickly feels careless. Hope their backups are actually working this time.
Ukraine clearly has a strategy now. Targeting revenue-generating assets forces Moscow to divert resources away from the front lines. Smart.
Does Trump’s request to stop hitting oil refineries apply here? This escalation seems to ignore that diplomatic tension entirely.
I worry about the civilians relying on these services. When infrastructure goes down, everyday life suffers no matter which side strikes first.
Three strikes in a week? That is rapid. It seems Russia’s tech backbone is surprisingly fragile under this kind of sustained pressure.