Russian technology company Yandex has halted operations at a facility located in Vladimir, situated east of Moscow, after a Ukrainian drone strike caused physical damage to the site. The firm reported that no injuries occurred during the incident, although several digital services became unavailable to users.
This marks the third time within a single week that Ukrainian strikes have targeted infrastructure belonging to the Russian tech giant. Earlier in the week, Yandex revealed it was experiencing difficulties maintaining its digital platforms following attacks on facilities in Sasovo on Thursday and Kaluga on Friday, which affected two of its five primary data centres.
Impact on Services and Infrastructure
In a statement posted on Telegram, Yandex confirmed that connectivity and operations at the Vladimir site were completely suspended while technicians worked to repair the infrastructure. The company, which provides widespread services including taxi booking and food delivery applications used by tens of millions of people, noted that its data facilities are vital for daily operations, adding that predicting when full service will be restored remains difficult.
Ukrainian officials stated that the strikes aim to disrupt revenue streams supporting Moscow’s war effort and force Russia to redirect resources toward repairing damaged infrastructure. Both nations have intensified attacks on critical infrastructure as the military conflict enters its fifth year.
Diplomatic Tension and Ongoing Strikes
The latest strike occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump publicly warned Ukraine to cease actions against Russian energy infrastructure. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on social media that any de-escalation must be mutual, offering to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops targeting Ukrainian energy sites. Tension between the leaders escalated further after Zelensky criticized a new US-Russia arrangement involving Russian diesel exports, prompting Trump to suggest Ukraine needs new leadership.
Meanwhile, military strikes on Ukrainian civilian areas have continued. Ukrainian emergency services reported six injuries overnight in the Dnipropetrovsk region following Russian strikes across four districts. Additionally, local officials confirmed that attacks on Zaporizhzhia on Saturday resulted in at least 20 deaths, including four children.
Source: BBC News
