In brief
Russian search engine Yandex has reported serious damage to two of its five data centres after Ukrainian drone strikes, halting operations at the Sasovo hub and partially shutting down a Kaluga facility. The company warned that its AI chatbot and smart‑home functions are temporarily unavailable, and that it remains uncertain when full service will resume. Kyiv claims the attacks target revenue streams used to finance Moscow’s war machine, while Russia says Yandex aids Ukrainian military intelligence. This incident underscores how digital infrastructure has become a new front in the ongoing conflict.
Ukraine’s drone campaign has once again snared a Russian target, with its tech behemoth Yandex reporting serious damage to two of its five data centres.
The first hit struck Yandex’s primary hub in Sasovo, in the Ryazan region, overnight into Thursday. The facility was described as "seriously damaged", with all operations taken offline. A second strike early Friday hit a Kaluga‑based centre, knocking part of the infrastructure out of service.
Yandex said its data centres are "critical" for its services, and that teams are working "day and night" to keep its search engine, food‑ordering app and taxi service running. However, the company announced temporary outages to its AI chatbot and smart‑home devices, and said it is still uncertain when the sites will be fully restored.
Both sides have escalated cyber‑infrastructure attacks in recent months. Kyiv says its strikes aim to cut revenue streams used to finance Moscow’s war machine, while Russia claims Yandex’s facilities also serve Ukrainian military intelligence.
No Yandex employees were reported injured, though local officials noted nine people were hurt in a separate drone assault on Kaluga’s city infrastructure.
The wider context of the conflict highlights how digital infrastructure has become a new front, with Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centres that have already taken out critical services for thousands of households.
For more on the ongoing clashes, read the full BBC News report here.
