Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centers disrupt payments and services for millions of Russians

Ukrainian strikes on data centers operated by Yandex, a major Russian internet company, triggered widespread outages that affected digital payment services, ride-hailing, food delivery and other online functions used by millions of Russians. The disruptions left some users unable to access their money for several days, with one St. Petersburg blogger saying she could not pay rent or buy food for her child.

Customers reported problems ordering taxis, ordering meals, accessing cloud storage and even using digital keys for apartment entry. While most Yandex services have been restored, three interviewees said Yandex Pay remained inaccessible for days, preventing them from withdrawing cash or viewing balances.

Yandex confirmed that no employees were injured and said it was working to restore operations, describing its data centers as “the iron heart of Yandex” and essential for everyday services. Some users, such as a Moscow barista, said they would consider abandoning Yandex after the outages, while others blamed the attacks on external forces, noting the company was a “hostage of the situation.”

Analysts said the attacks aim to make the war’s impact tangible for ordinary Russians by targeting critical digital infrastructure. One expert highlighted the military value of data centers for both sides, while another noted that Russia’s concentration of large facilities makes them vulnerable to single-site strikes. Russian officials indicated that the government is reviewing digital security measures but did not link the meeting on digital security to the attacks.

The incidents follow a series of strikes on Russian data centers, including those of Sberbank and VK, and come amid reciprocal attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.