A Ukrainian drone strike damaged a Yandex data centre near Moscow’s eastern suburb of Vladimir, forcing the Russian tech giant to suspend all operations at the site. The incident marks the third Yandex facility hit this week, but police said no one was injured and the company is working to restore connectivity.
Yandex, often called Russia’s Google, runs a broad portfolio of services—including search, food‑ordering and taxi apps—many of which rely on these data centres. The damage has temporarily blocked access to several services across the country.
The strikes in Vladimir followed attacks on Yandex sites in Sasovo last Thursday and in Kaluga on Friday, illustrating a strategic effort by Kyiv to hit revenue sources tied to Moscow’s war machine. In a related statement, the Ukrainian military said the attacks are intended to divert Russian resources to repair the infrastructure.
The drone campaign unfolds amid a broader debate over energy targets. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to stop hitting Russian oil refineries, warning that the attacks could backfire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky replied that any easing of attacks must be matched with concrete guarantees that Russia will cease strikes on Ukrainian energy sites.
Sustained strikes on digital infrastructure highlight the war’s shift towards crippling the opponent’s command and control. Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure also continue, with dozens of casualties reported over the weekend. The conflict persists into its fifth year, with both sides escalating tactics and civilian impact.
