Yandex halts Moscow data centre operations after third Ukrainian drone strike

Yandex has suspended operations at a data centre near Moscow following a Ukrainian drone attack that damaged the facility. This incident marks the third strike on the Russian technology giant’s infrastructure this week. The company, frequently referred to as Russia’s Google, confirmed that no personnel were injured during the assault on the site in Vladimir, located east of the capital. However, the damage has rendered some of its digital services unavailable to users.

The tech firm stated on its Telegram channel that operations at the Vladimir centre were completely suspended, although engineers are working to restore connectivity. Earlier in the week, Yandex reported difficulties in maintaining its services after two of its five data centres were targeted. Those previous strikes occurred on Thursday in Sasovo and on Friday in Kaluga, south-west of Moscow. The attacks have disrupted various platforms, including the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot and smart home devices. Yandex noted that its data centres are critical for the normal operation of its services, which include a food-ordering and taxi application used by tens of millions of people. The company added that it was very difficult to predict when full service would be restored.

These strikes form part of a broader escalation in attacks on infrastructure by both Russia and Ukraine as their war enters its fifth year. Kyiv has stated that it is targeting sites that provide revenue streams for Moscow’s war machine. Ukrainian officials argue that such attacks may force Russia to divert resources towards repairing damage at facilities like Yandex. This development follows a diplomatic row sparked by US President Donald Trump’s warning that Ukraine should stop attacking Russian oil refineries to allow Moscow to release more diesel to the global market. That proposal drew criticism from Europe and condemnation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Meanwhile, Russian military operations against Ukraine have continued through the weekend. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that six people were injured in attacks on four districts in the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. On Saturday, local officials confirmed that at least 20 people, including four children, were killed in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia. Russia has previously targeted Ukrainian data centres, causing internet outages and prompting some businesses to relocate their servers abroad.