Russia Called Its Strikes On Ukrainian Data Centers A ‘Forced Digital Detox.’ Zelensky Says Kyiv Has Answered By Hitting A Data Center Belonging To Russian Tech Giant Yandex.

TL;DR

Before you orderOffer from Amazon

Get smart everyday buys delivered free with Prime

• Fast, free delivery on millions of items
• Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
• Member-only deals all year

Start your free Prime trial →Free trial for eligible customers · Cancel anytime

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.Hide

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine responded to Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers by striking a Yandex data center in Russia’s Ryazan region. The facility caught fire and shut down, while Yandex said it was still assessing whether its equipment could be restored.

Ukrainian forces struck a Yandex data center in Russia’s Ryazan region overnight on October 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, describing the attack as a response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centers. The facility caught fire and shut down completely; Yandex said it was still assessing whether the equipment could be restored.

The strike targeted a data center in Sasovo, a town in the Ryazan region, according to the report by Meduza, which cited Ukrainian outlet RBC-Ukraine on Zelensky’s comments. Zelensky told journalists that Ukraine had hit back after Russian attacks on data centers, but said he could not provide all the details. The report said nobody was hurt in the strike.

By the evening of October 8, Yandex said it did not yet know whether the affected equipment could be restored. The company said that “the extent of the damage to the infrastructure is still being assessed.” Users reported disruptions following the attack to Yandex services and to services operated by Avito, IVI, MegaFon, Russian Railways and T-Bank, as well as several real estate developers. The report did not establish the cause or scale of each reported outage.

Disruptions Reach Russian Online Services

The reported shutdown matters because data centers support the storage and delivery of online services, and an outage at one facility can affect users beyond the company that operates it. Reports of interruptions to services associated with Yandex and other Russian businesses indicate that the incident may have had effects beyond the site itself, though the extent and duration of those effects have not been confirmed.

The strike also marks a stated Ukrainian response to attacks on digital infrastructure inside Ukraine. Data centers can support civilian services and commercial operations, while their role in a conflict may raise questions about their military use and the consequences for civilians. The available report does not provide enough information to assess the targeted facility’s functions or the full impact of the damage.

Russian Strikes on Ukrainian Data Centers

Meduza reported that Russian forces had repeatedly struck data centers in Ukraine in recent weeks. Since late September, attacks had damaged or destroyed facilities belonging to at least eight companies, according to the outlet. The source did not identify all of those companies or provide a full account of the sites and damage.

Russia’s Defense Ministry described its strikes as “a forced digital detox,” according to Meduza. Zelensky framed the attack on the Yandex site as retaliation, while also referring to deadly Russian strikes on Pryluky and Kramatorsk. The comparison explains his stated rationale; it does not independently confirm the details or military purpose of the attacks.

““The extent of the damage to the infrastructure is still being assessed.””

— Yandex, as reported by Meduza

Damage and Outage Scope Still Unclear

The full extent of the damage at the Sasovo facility, the cost of repairs and the time needed to restore operations were not known as of the evening of October 8. Yandex had not said whether its equipment could be recovered. It is also unclear how many users or services were affected, how long reported interruptions lasted, and whether every outage reported after the strike was directly linked to it.

Zelensky acknowledged that he could not disclose all details of the Ukrainian operation. The source report did not provide independent verification of the target, the strike’s precise effects or the military role, if any, of the data center. Russia’s description of its own attacks and Ukraine’s explanation of its response are statements by the parties, not independent findings.

Yandex Continues Its Damage Review

The immediate next step is Yandex’s assessment of the facility and a decision about whether damaged equipment can be restored. Further information from the company could clarify the scale of the outage and how quickly affected services can resume. The report did not give a timetable for repairs or service recovery.

Ukraine and Russia may also issue further accounts of the strikes and their effects. Until more information is available, the number of affected users, the full infrastructure damage and the operational role of the targeted site remain unresolved.

Key Questions

Where was the Yandex data center that was struck?

The facility was in Sasovo, in Russia’s Ryazan region, according to the report.

What did Zelensky say about the attack?

Zelensky said Ukraine had hit back after Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers. He said he could not provide all the details.

Was anyone hurt, and what happened to the facility?

The report said no one was hurt. A fire broke out, and the data center shut down completely.

Were Yandex services the only ones affected?

No. Users reported disruptions to Yandex services and services operated by several other companies, including Avito, IVI, MegaFon, Russian Railways and T-Bank. The cause and scale of each reported interruption have not been confirmed.

Does Yandex know when the data center will be restored?

Not based on the available report. As of the evening of October 8, Yandex said it was still assessing the damage and did not know whether the equipment could be restored.

Source: rss