Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian data centers have disrupted the daily lives of millions, targeting what some call Russia’s Google, the tech giant Yandex. Since October 8, three of Yandex’s five major data centers have been damaged, causing outages in services like online payments, ride-hailing, and food delivery across Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. A 31-year-old history teacher from St. Petersburg, Anton, described the frustration of his smart bulbs failing to turn on, leaving him in darkness. “It felt like a power outage, just for a rather unusual reason,” he told CNN.
The attacks come as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centers in September, highlighting how digital infrastructure has become a new front line in the war. Kyiv frames these strikes as “long-range sanctions” against the Kremlin, while Moscow insists private businesses must protect their own critical infrastructure. The disruptions have hit hard, from taxi drivers struggling with malfunctioning ride-hailing apps to a Moscow resident losing access to 1.5 million rubles in savings on Yandex Pay.
Yandex has assured customers their money is safe, but the incidents underscore the vulnerabilities of Russia’s domestic digital economy. The Kremlin has also imposed internet blackouts and restricted VPNs, further complicating life for ordinary citizens. As the war enters its fifth year, fatigue and frustration grow among Russians, with many questioning when the conflict will end.