Ukraine Drone Strikes Hit Yandex Data Centres in Russia, Raising AI Infrastructure Concerns
Ukraine drone strikes have damaged two data centres operated by Russian technology company Yandex. The attacks have disrupted parts of the company’s digital infrastructure and raised concerns about the security of artificial intelligence systems during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
According to Reuters, Ukrainian drones struck a Yandex data centre in Russia’s Kaluga region on Friday, October 9, 2026. The incident followed another attack on a larger Yandex facility in Sasovo, Ryazan region, on Thursday.
Yandex confirmed damage to its facilities and said it was working to restore affected services. The company has not disclosed the full extent of the damage.
Reuters
Ukraine Targets Yandex Data Centres in Russia
The latest strike affected a Yandex facility in the Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow.
Yandex said the attack partially disabled the data centre. It was the second reported strike against the company’s infrastructure within two days.
On October 8, another Ukrainian drone attack forced the shutdown of a major Yandex data centre in Sasovo.
The two incidents have increased pressure on one of Russia’s largest technology companies.
Yandex provides search, navigation, entertainment, online shopping and business services. Millions of people use its platforms for everyday activities.
The company also operates important computing infrastructure used in artificial intelligence development.
Reuters reported that Yandex was assessing the damage and attempting to restore affected operations.
Reuters
Yandex AI Supercomputers Face Potential Risk
One of the most significant concerns involves the company’s AI computing infrastructure.
The Sasovo data centre reportedly houses two of the three supercomputers used to develop Yandex’s artificial intelligence models.
These systems support the training of YandexGPT, the company’s large language model.
The supercomputers were built using Nvidia A100 chips, according to information previously released by Yandex.
However, the company has not confirmed whether the supercomputers themselves were damaged.
The distinction is important. A damaged data centre does not necessarily mean that every computing system inside it has been destroyed.
The condition of the AI equipment remains uncertain.
Reuters
Why Data Centres Are Important for Artificial Intelligence
Data centres form the foundation of many modern digital services.
They contain servers, networking equipment, storage systems and other essential computing resources.
AI companies depend on these facilities to train and operate advanced models.
Large AI systems require substantial processing power. They also depend on reliable electricity, cooling and network connectivity.
Damage to a major facility can affect several operations.
For example, an outage may interrupt AI training, reduce available computing capacity or temporarily affect online applications.
Companies with multiple facilities may transfer some workloads to other locations. However, that depends on available capacity and technical arrangements.
For Yandex, the latest attacks have raised questions about how quickly affected services can be restored.
Yandex Services Report Technical Disruptions
The attacks have also highlighted the dependence of Russian businesses and consumers on digital infrastructure.
Yandex operates a wide range of online platforms.
Its services include digital maps, transport information, entertainment, grocery delivery and business technology.
The company said it was working continuously to restore disrupted operations.
Several other Russian online services also experienced technical problems on Thursday.
Reuters identified reported issues involving real estate platform Cian, book portal Litmarket and websites associated with Russian Railways and Spartak Moscow.
However, the available reporting does not establish that every disruption was directly caused by the Yandex attacks.
Reuters
Russia-Ukraine War Expands Into Digital Infrastructure
The attacks come amid a broader campaign against infrastructure linked to the Russian and Ukrainian economies.
Both countries have increasingly targeted facilities that support transportation, energy production and commercial operations.
Recent attacks have also affected telecommunications networks and data centres.
Russia has struck Ukrainian digital infrastructure during the past month.
Some Ukrainian facilities have suspended operations after sustaining damage.
One reported attack caused temporary internet outages affecting approximately 100,000 households.
Ukraine has also been developing plans to move parts of its digital infrastructure underground.
The strategy is intended to improve protection against aerial attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine was responding to Russian strikes against its own data centres.
The latest incidents show how digital infrastructure has become increasingly exposed during the conflict.
Reuters
How the Attacks Could Affect Russia’s Technology Industry
Yandex is an important part of Russia’s technology sector.
Its services support individual users and businesses across several industries.
Damage to computing infrastructure can create both immediate and longer-term challenges.
Short-term problems may include interrupted services, restoration costs and reduced computing capacity.
Longer-term effects depend on the severity of the damage, the availability of replacement equipment and the company’s ability to move workloads elsewhere.
Following the reported attacks, Yandex shares fell 3.75% on the Moscow Exchange, according to Reuters.
The decline reflected market concerns about possible operational and financial consequences.
However, the full financial impact remains unknown.
Reuters
Growing Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Concerns
The Yandex incidents highlight an important distinction between cyberattacks and physical attacks on digital infrastructure.
A cyberattack generally targets computer systems through software, networks or digital access.
A drone strike physically damages equipment or buildings.
Both types of incidents can interrupt digital services.
As AI infrastructure becomes more important, physical security is becoming a major consideration alongside cybersecurity.
Technology companies may need stronger disaster recovery arrangements, distributed computing systems and backup facilities.
These measures can reduce the impact of disruptions, although they cannot eliminate every risk.
What Happens Next?
Yandex is continuing its assessment of the damaged facilities.
The company has not confirmed whether the affected AI supercomputers can be restored or whether any permanent loss of computing capacity has occurred.
Further updates are expected as engineers examine the infrastructure and restoration work continues.
The incidents also raise broader questions about the protection of data centres during armed conflicts.
For now, the extent of the damage and the long-term consequences for Yandex’s AI operations remain uncertain.