# Ukraine strikes Yandex data centers in tit-for-tat attack

> Ukrainian drones knocked out two of Yandex's five data centers, disrupting Russia's largest tech company and its AI services in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
- Title: Ukraine strikes Yandex data centers in tit-for-tat attack
- Summary: Ukrainian drones knocked out two of Yandex's five data centers, disrupting Russia's largest tech company and its AI services in response to Russian attacks…
- Keywords: ukraine, russia, yandex, drone strikes, data centers, yandexgpt, cyber warfare, technology, science, strikes, data, centers
- Source: Ars Technica — https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/10/ukraines-drones-knock-out-ai-data-center-belonging-to-russias-google
- Published: 2026-10-09T22:04:07+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ukraine, russia, yandex, drone strikes, data centers, ai, yandexgpt, cyber warfare, technology, science
## Ukrainian drones hit Yandex data centers
Ukrainian drone strikes knocked out two of five data centers belonging to Yandex, Russia's largest search engine company, on October eight and October nine.
## Yandex struggles with AI and services
The damage left Yandex, known as Russia's Google, struggling to maintain its AI chatbot and other online services. Yandex said no employees were hurt but acknowledged disruptions to some services.
## Retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukraine
The strikes came as a direct response to a Russian drone strike campaign targeting Ukraine's data centers, which has disrupted mobile phone and internet services for thousands of Ukrainians since late September.
## Zelenskyy calls it symmetrical response
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X: We continue to respond to Russia's attacks on Ukraine, and we're doing so with high precision. Another data center was hit as well, our symmetrical response.

> We continue to respond to Russia's attacks on Ukraine, and we're doing so with high precision. Another data center was hit as well, our symmetrical response.
## Widespread disruption across Russian services
Russian users reported problems accessing media websites and apps for Ivi video streaming, T-Bank digital banking, Russian Railways, a dating app, real estate aggregator, self-publishing platform and a professional soccer club website.
## Data centers become wartime targets
Targeting data centers is the latest example of them becoming wartime targets in twenty twenty-six.
## Key takeaway

Ukrainian drones destroyed two Yandex data centers on October eight and nine, crippling Russia's largest search engine and AI chatbot in retaliation for Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.