Ukrainian Strikes On Yandex Have Reduced Russian Bot Activity In The US And Europe — CCD

The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) examined the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centers operating in Sasovo, Kaluga, and Vladimir on Russian bot networks in the US and Europe. Preliminary findings indicate that these strikes have noticeably disrupted Russian bot activity, even though there is currently no comprehensive data on a major drop in overall bot network activity.

Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centers in these regions have hampered the operation and effectiveness of Russian bots in disseminating damaging content. This disruption has been particularly evident in countries like France and the US, where there has been a decline in content views from figures promoting Kremlin-aligned narratives. Additionally, automated information networks such as Pravda, InfoDefense, and Nod of Time, which the Kremlin utilizes to disseminate propaganda abroad, experienced temporary disruptions.

The intensity of publications in certain online clusters also dropped significantly, with activity resuming after approximately 12 hours. Furthermore, Russia's manipulation of certain search queries on the platform X (formerly Twitter) resulted in a noticeable decline in activity. Thus, the strikes on Yandex's infrastructure have significantly affected the functioning of Russian bot farms and automated systems designed to distribute harmful content, as well as complicated their coordination efforts.

The CCD will continue to monitor and analyze bot network activity to promptly detect any changes and evaluate the impact of the strikes on Russian digital infrastructure on information operations targeting Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously stated in a video address to the Warsaw Security Forum that Ukrainian strikes on Yandex's data centers, in retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers, have led to a reduction in the presence of malicious bots on social media.