Ukraine expands drone strikes on data centres owned by Russia’s Yandex

On October 9, Ukrainian forces targeted a data center operated by Russian technology company Yandex, causing partial damage to the facility, according to Reuters. Yandex, often referred to as Russia's Google, reported that the attack in the Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, had affected its operations significantly. This follows a previous strike on a more substantial Yandex data center in the Ryazan region, where two of its three supercomputers were housed.

The company stated that it is assessing the damage and working to restore services, but the full extent of the disruption remains unclear. Russia has also been expanding its use of drones to attack infrastructure across Ukraine, including energy facilities, refineries, ports, and oil and grain vessels. Yandex, which is integral to many Russians' daily lives, warned that the attacks have targeted the core of its operations and are seeking to keep services functional.

The company's shares experienced the largest decline on the Moscow exchange following the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy noted that Russia has been striking Ukrainian data centers in response to Ukraine's actions. The digital infrastructure of Ukraine is being moved underground in response to the escalating attacks by Russia.