Russian Search Giant Yandex Hit by Ukrainian Drone Strikes

Russian technology giant Yandex has found itself struggling to maintain its core digital services after two of its five primary data centres were struck by Ukrainian drone attacks over a two-day period. Often described as Russia's Google, the major tech firm operates the nation's most popular search engine, alongside widespread food-ordering and ride-hailing applications utilized by tens of millions of citizens across the country.

The recent escalations highlight a broader trend in the ongoing conflict, with both nations increasingly targeting each other's digital and technological infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the drone strikes were executed in direct response to weeks of similar Russian attacks aimed at Ukrainian data centres. Kyiv has maintained that its strategic strikes are intended to disrupt revenue streams fueling Moscow's military operations and could potentially compel Russia to divert vital resources toward repairing domestic tech assets.

The initial strike occurred overnight into Thursday, heavily targeting the Yandex data centre located in Sasovo, within the Ryazan region. According to the company, this facility sustained serious damage, forcing operations to be completely suspended. The Sasovo hub is particularly significant as it houses two of the three supercomputers utilized by Yandex for the development of its proprietary artificial intelligence models. It remains officially unclear whether these critical supercomputers survived the destructive impact of the drone strike.

A secondary attack followed swiftly on Friday morning, hitting another major Yandex data centre situated in Kaluga, a region located southwest of Moscow. The tech giant confirmed that a portion of the Kaluga site's extensive infrastructure was taken out of service. Previously, Yandex highlighted the Kaluga facility as one of the largest data centres in Russia, spanning an impressive area of 130,000 square meters and consuming an annual amount of electricity equivalent to that used by approximately 220,000 households in the United Kingdom.

In the wake of these incidents, Yandex stated that its data centres are vital for the normal execution of its digital ecosystem, admitting that it is very difficult to predict precisely when the affected facilities will be brought back online. Engineering teams are reportedly working tirelessly day and night to keep essential services running, though the company acknowledges that overcoming the extensive damage is far from a simple task. While Yandex confirmed that no internal employees were injured in its specific facilities, the regional governor of Kaluga reported that nine individuals sustained injuries during a broader drone attack targeting the city's infrastructure.

The exact scope and longevity of the service disruptions remain uncertain. However, the company disclosed to state media agency Tass that certain artificial intelligence chatbot functions were temporarily unavailable and that its smart home devices might experience operational problems. Meanwhile, Ukraine's defense ministry openly acknowledged the targeted data centre operations, asserting that the actions could force Russia to reallocate resources to restore the compromised computing capacities.

President Zelensky characterized the operation as a mirror-like response to persistent Russian aggression against Ukrainian digital infrastructure. Last month, a Russian drone strike hit a major business center in Kyiv, resulting in four fatalities and severe damage to a local data centre, which subsequently caused internet outages for roughly 100,000 households in the region. As the conflict grinds forward, both sides continue to exchange blows targeting critical technology and energy grids, heightening vulnerabilities as colder months approach.