Ukraine targets Russia’s ‘Google’ as the internet becomes a new front line

Key Points:

• Ukrainian attacks since October 8 have damaged three of five major data centers powering Yandex, disrupting services like smart home devices, online payments, ride-hailing, and food delivery across Russia and neighboring countries.
• These strikes reveal vulnerabilities in Russia’s domestic digital economy, which Moscow has promoted to reduce dependence on Western technology amid sanctions, but whose data centers have become a critical weak point.
• The attacks are framed by Kyiv as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centers, highlighting digital infrastructure as a new front in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
• The disruptions have had significant real-world impacts, including taxi drivers unable to access earnings and consumers temporarily losing access to savings, causing financial and emotional distress.
• Despite pressure from the US to limit attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine continues to target Russian digital and logistical networks, signaling its intent to keep applying pressure on the Kremlin.