A string of Ukrainian strikes on data centres powering Yandex, Russia's largest technology company, has disrupted everyday digital services for millions of people across Russia and neighbouring countries, turning the internet itself into an emerging front line in the conflict.
Since October 8, Ukrainian attacks have damaged three of the five major data centres powering Yandex's operations, according to CNN's reporting. The outages have affected services ranging from online payments and business operations to search, navigation, ride-hailing and food delivery — hitting not only Russia but also Kazakhstan and Belarus.
From smart bulbs to taxi apps
The disruption has spilled into ordinary life. CNN spoke to a St. Petersburg resident whose Yandex-powered smart bulbs stopped working, leaving him in the dark, and a Moscow taxi driver who said the Yandex Pro app used to manage rides began malfunctioning after the third attack on October 11 in the Vladimir region, at one point sending four different cars to the same order. Some drivers found they could not withdraw their earnings, making it hard to pay for fuel and rental cars.
A Moscow resident told CNN she woke up to find savings of 1.5 million rubles no longer visible in her Yandex Pay account. Yandex said in a statement that customers' money was safe and that it is working to restore services.
Retaliation and the 'digital detox'
Kyiv has framed the attacks as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centres in September — strikes the Russian Defence Ministry mockingly described as a "digital detox." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described such strikes as "long-range sanctions" for the Kremlin's actions.
The attacks expose the fragility of Russia's domestic digital economy, which Moscow has promoted to reduce dependence on Western technology. Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, also reported an attack on its data centre in Balakovo in the Saratov region this week. The Kremlin, meanwhile, has placed the responsibility on private businesses to protect their own critical infrastructure.
Sources: CNN: Ukraine targets 'Russia's Google' as the internet becomes a new front line
Since October 8, Ukrainian attacks have damaged three of the five major data centres powering Yandex's operations, according to CNN's reporting. The outages have affected services ranging from online payments and business operations to search, navigation, ride-hailing and food delivery — hitting not only Russia but also Kazakhstan and Belarus.
From smart bulbs to taxi apps
The disruption has spilled into ordinary life. CNN spoke to a St. Petersburg resident whose Yandex-powered smart bulbs stopped working, leaving him in the dark, and a Moscow taxi driver who said the Yandex Pro app used to manage rides began malfunctioning after the third attack on October 11 in the Vladimir region, at one point sending four different cars to the same order. Some drivers found they could not withdraw their earnings, making it hard to pay for fuel and rental cars.
A Moscow resident told CNN she woke up to find savings of 1.5 million rubles no longer visible in her Yandex Pay account. Yandex said in a statement that customers' money was safe and that it is working to restore services.
Retaliation and the 'digital detox'
Kyiv has framed the attacks as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centres in September — strikes the Russian Defence Ministry mockingly described as a "digital detox." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described such strikes as "long-range sanctions" for the Kremlin's actions.
The attacks expose the fragility of Russia's domestic digital economy, which Moscow has promoted to reduce dependence on Western technology. Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, also reported an attack on its data centre in Balakovo in the Saratov region this week. The Kremlin, meanwhile, has placed the responsibility on private businesses to protect their own critical infrastructure.
Sources: CNN: Ukraine targets 'Russia's Google' as the internet becomes a new front line
