Three Ukrainian strikes damaged Yandex data centers, fueling claims that Russian bots vanished. Researchers say the viral evidence points to something else.
The logo of Russian IT company Yandex is seen at the Yandex headquarters in Moscow. Photo: Getty Images
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Ukraine has struck three data centers belonging to Russian tech company Yandex, which is also known as Russia’s Google. The effects are purportedly being felt across the globe, with many social media users claiming that the “bots are gone.” But is there a connection?
In response to recent strikes by Russia on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Ukraine first struck one of Yandex’s data centers on October 8. The second attack occurred the next day and the third strike occurred on October 11.
In an X post on Oct 9, Yandex shared that its data center located in Sasovo was seriously damaged. The second drone attack hit a data center in Kaluga leaving part of the infrastructure disabled.
After the third data center was struck, Dima Pirogov, head of Yandex’s fintech division, posted from the company’s X account assuring Yandex users that their money is safe and services would gradually return to operation.
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Did Ukraine’s attacks stop the spread of disinformation?
Claims that Ukraine’s drone attacks on Yandex’s data centers reduced the amount of online disinformation online spread on social media.
During a speech at the Warsaw Security Forum, Zelensky suggested that when the strikes reached Yandex’s data centers, it became “easier to breathe on many social media platforms.”
“A lot of people noticed it. There was less hate, less division, and fewer provocations,” he said in an X post. “Because there were fewer bots. And it’s pretty clear where those bots were coming from – if they disappeared when Yandex went offline.”