Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russia’s digital infrastructure, targeting three of the five major data centers that power Yandex, a Russian tech giant often compared to a combination of Google, Uber, and Amazon. The attacks, which began on October 8, have disrupted services ranging from online payments and ride-hailing to search and navigation, affecting millions of users across Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Anton, a 31-year-old history teacher from St. Petersburg, described the frustration of dealing with malfunctioning smart bulbs powered by Yandex, highlighting the broader impact on daily life.
The strikes come in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers in September, underscoring the growing importance of digital infrastructure as a new front line in the war. Kyiv has framed these actions as 'long-range sanctions' against the Kremlin, aiming to disrupt the illusion of distance from the war’s consequences for ordinary Russians. President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged the impact of such strikes, which have also targeted oil refineries and online retailers like Wildberries and Ozon.
For many Russians, the disruptions have become a source of fatigue and frustration. A 33-year-old Moscow taxi driver reported issues with the Yandex Pro app, which manages ride orders, leading to lost income and difficulties paying for car rentals and fuel. Tatiana, a Moscow resident, found her savings of 1.5 million rubles (around 17,830 USD) inaccessible after the Yandex Pay app stopped working. Yandex has assured customers that their money is safe and is working to restore services.
Ukrainian defense company Fire Point mocked Yandex’s fintech division head, Dima Pirogov, on X, responding to a statement about restoring services with the quip, 'Dima, have you tried turning it off and on again.' As Ukraine faces pressure from the U.S. to halt strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, the message from Kyiv remains clear: it will continue to target critical systems to make life difficult for the Kremlin.