Ukrainian Drones Target Yandex Data Centers, Disrupting Russian Troll Farms

Post Views: 4

Ukrainian drones targeted Yandex data centers, leading to assertions that Russian troll farms ceased operations.

Ukrainian Drones Target Yandex Data Centers

Russian technology company Yandex disclosed that drone attacks affected three of its data centers, resulting in the shutdown of facilities in Sasovo and Vladimir and partial infrastructure failure in Kaluga. On October 11, Yandex Cloud informed clients that the platform was operating in emergency mode and advised them to activate alternative disaster recovery protocols following an attack on the Vladimir data center. This marked the third Yandex data center targeted within four days.

We consider the remaining resource configuration unstable. The platform is operating in emergency mode, and we recommend using any available alternative disaster recovery plans. Communication channels with technical support may be unstable.

Yandex’s Response and Infrastructure Impact

Yandex, often referred to as Russia’s equivalent of Google, describes its data centers as its “iron heart,” supporting services used by millions and technologies relied upon by hundreds of thousands of businesses. The company acknowledged the disruption caused by outages, stating, “For our users, clients, and partners, every outage means disrupted plans and the inability to perform daily tasks or work activities.”

The Sasovo data center in the Ryazan region suffered severe damage during an attack between October 7 and 8, ceasing operations. The Kaluga facility was targeted on October 9, and the Vladimir data center went offline after an attack on October 11. No employee injuries were reported.

Alexander Avdeyev, governor of the Vladimir region, stated on Telegram that drones attacked infrastructure near the city, igniting a fire and damaging two substations that supply power to 5,000 residents. Residents near the site were evacuated. Yandex confirmed that the Cloud platform remained operational in a limited capacity, with engineers working on recovery.

Ukrainian Perspective and Claims of Disinformation Disruption

Ukrainian forces conducted the strikes, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stating that Ukraine was retaliating against Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers. He noted, “We always respond in mirror-like fashion.” The Sasovo facility housed two of Yandex’s three supercomputers used for AI model development, according to Reuters.

We always respond in mirror-like fashion.

Post-strike analyses highlighted a decline in bot traffic from Yandex’s network, prompting claims that Russian troll farms were silenced. Charts from Cloudflare Radar showed a sharp reduction in automated traffic, with some asserting that the attacks disrupted Russian disinformation operations.

Analysis and Disputed Claims

Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský shared a chart suggesting a drop in online activity related to Germany’s right-wing AfD party following the strikes, stating, “If confirmed, this is telling.” Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also linked the attacks to improved social media conditions during a speech at the Warsaw Security Forum.

If confirmed, this is telling.

Ilya Lozovsky of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) disputed these claims, arguing that the Cloudflare data reflected a decline in automated web traffic, such as search engine requests, rather than social media bots. He criticized the AfD chart as unsourced and error-ridden, emphasizing the lack of concrete evidence.

It’s possible that Russian bot activity has decreased, but tracking this is challenging.

Zdechovský’s spokesperson clarified that the MEP’s comments included the phrase “If confirmed,” indicating the connection was not definitively proven. The spokesperson noted Zdechovský personally believes in the link but did not disclose the chart’s origin.

Conclusion: Cyber Infrastructure in Geopolitical Conflict

The incident underscores the growing intersection of cyber infrastructure and geopolitical conflict, with data centers becoming critical battlegrounds in modern warfare.