Ukrainian Drone Strike Shuts Yandex Data Centre Near Moscow for Third Time This Week
Ukrainian drones struck a Yandex data centre in Vladimir east of Moscow on Sunday, the third attack on the Russian tech company's facilities in four days, forcing it to suspend operations while President Zelenskyy rejected US President Trump's call to unilaterally halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Latest Ukrainian Strike on Russian Infrastructure
A Ukrainian drone attack damaged a Yandex data centre in the city of Vladimir, east of Moscow, on Sunday. [4] The strike marked the third attack on Yandex facilities in four days. [1] Yandex reported no injuries at the Vladimir site from the drone strike. [1] Operations at the centre were completely halted as a result of the damage. [4] The attack occurred hours after US President Donald Trump warned that Ukraine should stop attacking Russian oil refineries. [1]
Yandex Response and Broader Impact
Yandex confirmed on Telegram that the infrastructure of its data centre in Vladimir was damaged and that operations had been completely suspended. [4] The company stated it was working to restore connectivity following the attack. [1] Prior strikes hit Yandex sites in Sasovo on Thursday and in Kaluga on Friday. [1] Those earlier attacks also led to operations being suspended at the affected facilities. [4] Yandex described its data centres as critical for the normal operation of its services and said it was very difficult to predict when they would resume. [1] The disruptions left users in dozens of Russian cities and in Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia unable to order taxis or access banking services. [4]
Russian drone strike on car in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast kills driver. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Zelenskyy Rejects Unilateral De-escalation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would stop striking Russian oil refineries only if Russia halts attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. [3] He insisted that any de-escalation steps must be reciprocal and backed by real guarantees. [1] Zelenskyy wrote on X that it is possible to stop strikes on energy infrastructure as early as today, but Putin does not want to do so. [3] He added that the real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone. [3] Zelenskyy has reacted to a new deal between the US and Russia that will see millions of tonnes of Russian diesel released into the US. [1]
Trump Criticism and Diesel Deal
US President Donald Trump warned Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries and blamed Zelenskyy for rising US diesel prices. [3] Trump suggested it is time for Ukraine to get a new president, saying Zelenskyy has missed several opportunities to strike a deal with Moscow. [4] Trump announced a diesel supply deal with Russia on Friday in an attempt to address high fuel prices ahead of US midterm elections. [4] Ukrainian and European officials reacted to the diesel deal with dismay, saying it will help pay for Russia’s war effort. [4] Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X that Zelenskyy is leading the country through a war for its independence and has the support of the Ukrainian people. [4]
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy speaks during a news conference on Russian energy infrastructure attacks. — Source: cyprusmail
Continued Russian Attacks on Ukraine
Russian strikes continued over the weekend, with at least 23 people including four children killed in Zaporizhzhia on Saturday. [4] Search and rescue operations ended in Zaporizhzhia after the Russian bombing on Saturday, with more than 30 people wounded. [4] Six people were injured in Russian attacks overnight on four districts in the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. [1] A Russian drone struck a civilian car in Sumy Oblast’s Krasnopillia hromada, killing the driver. [2] Russian forces struck a lorry belonging to an agricultural company with a drone near the village of Chornohlazivka in Kharkiv Oblast’s Bohodukhiv district on the morning of 11 October, killing the driver and injuring another man. [5]
Context of Mutual Infrastructure Campaign
Russia and Ukraine are locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than 4 1/2 years since Moscow’s full-scale invasion. [4] Both sides have stepped up attacks on infrastructure in recent months. [1] Kyiv said it is targeting places that help the revenue streams for Moscow’s war machine. [1] Ukraine’s strikes on data centres follow Russian attacks on data hubs in Ukraine. [4] Yandex, often described as Russia’s Google, runs the country’s most popular search engine and a wide range of digital services. [4]
What to watch next: Zelenskyy said he would continue discussions with European leaders on additional air defence packages, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is due to participate in a European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday expected to discuss increasing sanctions pressure on Russia. [3]
