Ukraine Drone Strikes Hit Russian Tech Giant Yandex's AI Hubs

Ukrainian drones struck a Yandex data center in Russia's Kaluga region on Friday, partly disabling the facility a day after a separate strike shut down a major Yandex hub in Sasovo, in the Ryazan region, according to Al Jazeera. The back-to-back hits mark an apparent widening of Kyiv's campaign to include Russian technology infrastructure alongside its established targets in missile production and oil refining.

What happened at Yandex's data centers

Yandex, Russia's largest technology company, said its Kaluga facility was struck by drones and partly knocked offline, Al Jazeera reported. The Sasovo hub, hit the day before, houses two of the three supercomputers Yandex uses to train its AI models, according to the outlet. The company said in a statement that the attacks "struck at the core of its operations" and that it was "trying to maintain its services."

"Our teams are working day and night to keep services running and help those affected by the incident," Yandex said. "Right now this is our most important task, but unfortunately it is not an easy one."

Why is Yandex a military target

Yandex operates under close government observation and is heavily involved in Russia's AI development efforts, Al Jazeera reported. The company also runs apps and social media networks that many Russians rely on daily, meaning disruptions ripple beyond any single research project into consumer-facing services.

How did Ukraine's president describe the strategy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking Thursday after the Ryazan strike, framed the attacks as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian data infrastructure.

"We always respond in mirror-like fashion," Zelenskyy said, according to Al Jazeera. "You all know, they have been hitting and continue to hit our data centres. We are responding. I can't share all the details."

What else has Ukraine targeted this month

Ukraine's military said it also struck three facilities involved in Russian missile production, part of a broader effort to reduce air strikes Kyiv says it has struggled to defend against, Al Jazeera reported. The campaign additionally continues to target Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure, aiming to pressure Moscow's capacity to fund the war.

How has Russia hit Ukraine's data centers in return

Russia has struck several Ukrainian data centers and telecommunications sites over the past month, including targets in central Kyiv, according to Al Jazeera. One such attack left roughly 100,000 households with temporary internet outages, the outlet reported, underscoring how both sides have moved digital infrastructure into the list of wartime targets.

By the numbers

• 2 of 3 supercomputers used in Yandex's AI model development are housed at the Sasovo hub hit this week, per Al Jazeera.
• 100,000 households experienced temporary internet outages after a Russian strike on Ukrainian data infrastructure, according to the same report.

The exchange of strikes on data centers adds a new front to a conflict already centered on energy and military-industrial targets, with neither Kyiv nor Moscow signaling the technology campaign will pause. Full details on the scope of damage at either country's facilities remain limited, as both governments have withheld operational specifics.