Ukrainian Drones Hit Yandex Data Center After Wave of Russian Attacks

Oct. 8, 2026 @exilenova_plus / Telegram A Ukrainian drone attack ignited a fire at a data center owned by Russian tech giant Yandex in the Ryazan region overnight, the company said Thursday, suspending the site’s operations and triggering service disruptions. The attack marks the first confirmed strike against Russian data infrastructure since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, weeks after Moscow launched attacks against Ukrainian data centers. Yandex confirmed that operations at the facility in the town of Sasovo were fully suspended while emergency teams worked to contain the damage, according to a statement circulated in the media. Governor Pavel Malkov said the roof of a Sasovo district company, which he did not name, caught fire. No casualties were reported. NASA’s fire monitoring service FIRMS showed a fire in Sasovo early Thursday morning. Outage tracking platform Downdetector recorded more than 1,300 user reports of disruptions affecting Yandex Cloud, Yandex Documents and Yandex Tables, while core consumer tools like search and taxi services remained online. Yandex shares dropped more than 3.4% during Thursday morning trading on the Moscow Exchange. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 399 Ukrainian drones over 18 Russian regions and annexed Crimea overnight. The Sasovo attack comes after Russian forces have, since late September, hit at least eight major data centers across Kyiv, causing widespread internet blackouts in Ukraine. Russia claimed the data centers processed military intelligence for Ukrainian forces. Reuters contributed reporting. Read more about: Drones , Yandex Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Ukraine Mounts Second Straight Night of Mass Drone Strikes on Russia Authorities in the Nizhny Novgorod region said 30 Ukrainian drones were downed over an “industrial zone” in the town of Dzerzhinsk. 2 Min read Russia Extends Gasoline Export Ban, Restricts Diesel Shipments The limits come after weeks of fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. 1 Min read Russia’s First Children’s Drone School Opens in Krasnodar as Founder Rejects Militarization Claims Krasnodar Mayor Yevgeny Naumov praised the project as “extremely relevant” given the high demand for drones in both civilian life and war. 2 Min read British Taxi Service Goes Head to Head With Uber in Russia Splyt, a British ride-sharing app, has opened an office in Moscow. They hope to coordinate an alliance of local taxi services, possibly undermining giants...