The attacks began on October 8, when Ukrainian drones struck a Yandex data center in Sasovo, in Russia’s Ryazan region, reportedly forcing it to shut down. Further strikes hit facilities in Kaluga and Vladimir over the following days. On October 14, a data center operated by Sberbank in Balakovo was attacked, followed by a strike on a facility serving VK, Russia’s largest social network, on October 18, according to the Centre for Eastern Studies.
Yandex’s infrastructure supports search, cloud computing, digital payments, navigation, ride-hailing and food delivery services. The company’s outages affected businesses and customers who rely on these platforms, while disruptions to its cloud services also affected other organizations using its computing resources. The attacks on its facilities in Sasovo and Vladimir reportedly caused complete shutdowns, while the Kaluga site suffered partial damage.
The damage has raised particular concerns about Russia’s artificial intelligence ambitions. Two of Yandex’s three supercomputers used to develop AI models are housed at the Sasovo facility, according to reporting by The Record, a cybersecurity news outlet. Damage to computing equipment and supporting power systems could delay research and take months to repair, especially if replacement components are difficult to obtain.
The effects have extended beyond commercial technology. Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation reported that the outages temporarily disrupted automated networks used to distribute Russian propaganda abroad. Its analysis found sharp but short-lived declines in posting activity on certain networks, followed by recovery as operators redirected traffic and restored their systems. The findings do not establish that the broader network of accounts disappeared.
The strikes followed Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers and other digital infrastructure. Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Ministry has reported that Russian strikes disrupted internet access, broadcasting, banking services and online systems used by businesses and municipalities. The opposing attacks demonstrate how data centers, once viewed primarily as commercial facilities, have become increasingly important targets in modern warfare.
Data centers house the servers, storage systems and computing equipment that keep online services running. Their dependence on electricity, cooling systems and telecommunications links makes them vulnerable to physical damage, even when the data stored on their servers is backed up elsewhere.
The longer-term consequences for Russia’s technology sector remain uncertain. While some services have resumed through alternative infrastructure, restoring damaged facilities and replacing specialized equipment could take considerable time. The attacks have exposed the risks of concentrating critical digital services and AI computing capacity in a limited number of physical locations.
As the war continues, the disruption underscores a growing challenge for both countries: protecting the digital infrastructure that supports civilian services, economic activity and advanced technology during sustained aerial attacks.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
