Russian tech giant Yandex has paused operations at a data center near Moscow after a Ukrainian drone strike damaged the facility, the third attack on Yandex sites this week. The strike occurred hours after US President Donald Trump warned Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries.
The attacks on Yandex's infrastructure highlight the escalating targeting of critical civilian and economic assets in the Russia-Ukraine war, potentially impacting Russia's technological capabilities and diverting resources from the conflict. The geopolitical implications are amplified by US President Trump's intervention and Ukrainian President Zelensky's conditional offer for de-escalation.
Russian tech giant Yandex has been forced to pause operations at a data center near Moscow after the facility was damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike, marking the third attack on Yandex sites this week. The company, often referred to as "Russia's Google," stated that while no one was injured at the Vladimir facility, some of its services were unavailable to users.
The attack on Sunday came hours after US President Donald Trump issued a warning for Ukraine to "damn well stop" attacking Russia's oil refineries. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that Ukraine would be ready to cease striking Russian oil refineries if Russia reciprocated by stopping attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Both nations have intensified attacks on infrastructure in recent months. Kyiv asserts its targets are places that contribute to Moscow's war revenue, suggesting the latest strikes could compel Russia to divert resources for repairs. Yandex confirmed the damage to its Vladimir data center and stated operations were "completely suspended," with efforts underway to restore connectivity. Similar attacks on Yandex facilities occurred on Thursday in Sasovo and Friday in Kaluga, also resulting in suspended operations.
The company emphasized the critical role of its data centers for its services, including food-ordering and taxi apps used by millions, and noted the difficulty in predicting when they would be back online. Meanwhile, Russian strikes on Ukraine continued over the weekend, with six people injured in attacks on four districts in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and at least 20 people, including four children, killed in Zaporizhzhia.
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