Ukrainian Drone Strikes Yandex Data Centre Near Moscow

Yandex has paused operations at a data centre near Moscow following damage from a Ukrainian drone strike, marking the third attack on the company's facilities this week. The company, often referred to as 'Russia's Google,' reported no injuries at the centre in Vladimir, east of Moscow, but noted that some services were unavailable to users. Earlier in the week, Yandex indicated difficulties in maintaining services after two of its five data centres were struck in Ukrainian attacks. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified strikes on each other's infrastructure as the conflict continues into its fifth year after Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukrainian officials stated that they are targeting facilities that generate revenue for Moscow's military efforts, suggesting that these attacks may compel Russia to allocate resources for repairs at Yandex. The latest strike occurred hours after former US President Donald Trump commented that Ukraine should cease attacks on Russian oil refineries to allow Moscow to increase diesel supplies to the global market, a statement that has faced criticism from Europe and led to diplomatic tensions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Yandex confirmed via Telegram that its data centre in Vladimir had sustained damage and that operations were fully suspended, although efforts were underway to restore connectivity. The other attacks on Yandex facilities occurred on Thursday in Sasovo and Friday in Kaluga, which affected some services, including its AI chatbot and smart home devices. The company emphasized that its data centres are essential for the normal functioning of its services and expressed uncertainty about when they would be operational again. Concurrently, Russian strikes on Ukraine continued over the weekend, with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reporting six injuries from attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Local officials confirmed that at least 20 individuals, including four children, were killed in Russian assaults on Zaporizhzhia on Saturday.