# The internet isn't dead. It's even worse > Ukraine's drone strikes on Russian data centers reveal internet's growing bot traffic and disinformation crisis. - Title: The internet isn't dead. It's even worse · Salon | Shortify - Summary: Ukraine's drone strikes on Russian data centers reveal internet's growing bot traffic and disinformation crisis. Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian data… - Keywords: yandex, ukraine, russia, data centers, bot traffic, disinformation, cloudflare, internet, cyber warfare, dead internet theory, generative ai, social media - Source: Salon — https://salon.com/2026/10/15/the-internet-isnt-dead-its-even-worse - Author: Troy Farah - Published: 2026-10-15T13:00:14+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: yandex, ukraine, russia, data centers, bot traffic, disinformation, cloudflare, internet, cyber warfare, dead internet theory, generative ai, social media ## Ukraine strikes Russian data centers Ukraine targeted three Russian data centers operated by Yandex with drone strikes over four days. > rapid unplanned disassembly ## Yandex's internet infrastructure damaged Yandex, a Russian tech company similar to Google, experienced significant damage to its data centers. > Yandex ## Zelenskyy claims social media improvement Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said social platforms became less hostile after Ukraine's attacks on Russian data centers. > It suddenly became a little easier to breathe on many social platforms. There was less hate, less division and fewer provocations ## Cloudflare reports bot traffic drop Cloudflare data showed Russia's Yandex bot traffic nearly eliminated overnight after Ukraine's attacks. > Russia’s Yandex bot traffic nearly eliminated overnight ## Experts question bot traffic claims Internet experts say the drop in bot traffic may include legitimate activity, not just disinformation. > When Cloudflare data shows a precipitous drop in 'bot' traffic, that does not mean 'automated social media troll accounts' ## Dead internet theory explained Dead internet theory suggests the internet is now mostly bots, with AI-generated content for algorithms, not humans. > an eerie feeling that the Internet is made up of bots talking to bots, following and liking bots ## Bot traffic surpasses human traffic Cloudflare reports bot traffic now exceeds human traffic for the first time in internet history. > bot traffic makes up an increasingly large share of the internet, surpassing human traffic for the first time in history ## Strong dead internet theory Strong dead internet theory claims online activity is entirely disconnected from human activity due to societal collapse. > the 'strong' version of the dead internet conspiracy theory claims that online activity is entirely disconnected from human activity ## Cyber warfare impacts internet Cyber warfare enables states to conduct aggressive acts without kinetic violence, creating stealthy strategic advantages. > Cyber warfare enables states to conduct aggressive acts; espionage, sabotage, infrastructure disruption without engaging in kinetic violence ## Internet's decline in trust The internet has become a zone of distortion from its original purpose as a liberating, self-healing information source. > the original commitment to net neutrality is on life support, the goal of a shared public information repository is constantly compromised by paywalls ## Human connection as solution Connecting with real humans through family, friends and neighbors can counter internet's negative effects. > Even more important is connecting with real humans: family, friends, neighbors ## Key takeaway Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian data centers show internet bot traffic now exceeds human traffic, raising fears of a dead internet.