Ukrainian drone strikes have disabled two of the five data centers owned by Yandex, the Russian technology giant. Yandex, often referred to as "Russia’s Google" for its dominant search engine and digital ecosystem, is currently struggling to maintain its AI chatbot and various online services following the attacks.
Strategic Strikes on AI Infrastructure
The strikes occurred on October 8 and October 9, targeting facilities in the Sasovo and Kaluga regions. The Sasovo data center is particularly significant as it houses two of the three supercomputers used for training YandexGPT, the company’s flagship AI model. The Kaluga facility, also hit, is Yandex’s largest data center.
Ukrainian company Firepoint confirmed that its FP-1 one-way attack drones were deployed in the operation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strikes as a "symmetrical response" to Russia's ongoing campaign against Ukraine’s digital infrastructure, which has disrupted mobile and internet services since late September.
Impact on Russian Digital Services
While Yandex reported no staff injuries, it acknowledged service disruptions. According to reports from users and independent news outlets, the impact was felt across several sectors:
- Video streaming platforms (Ivi)
- Digital banking services (T-Bank)
- The state-owned Russian Railways website
- Dating and real estate applications
The targeting of data centers marks a significant shift in 2026 warfare. Earlier this year, similar escalations were seen in the Middle East, where Iranian drones targeted Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the UAE following US and Israeli actions.
