Ukrainian Strikes on Yandex Data Centers Paralyze Life in Russia

Ukrainian attacks targeting the data centers of Russian internet giant Yandex have caused widespread disruptions in digital services across Russia. While millions of citizens were unable to access their bank accounts, taxi apps, and digital door keys for days, the incident was recorded as a new retaliatory campaign targeting Russia's internet infrastructure.

Irina, a blogger from St. Petersburg, stated that she could not access her financial resources for four days and faced major difficulties meeting her rent payments and her baby's food needs. Similarly, many users of Yandex Pay reported that their savings had been locked.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked whether state assistance would be provided to affected citizens, stated that Yandex is a strong company and it is premature to discuss state support in the face of the difficulties experienced. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Moscow has been trying to leave Ukrainians without internet and that they responded to these attacks by targeting Yandex. Meanwhile, data centers belonging to Sberbank and VK were also among the structures targeted in recent days.