Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers disrupt daily life

Ukrainian strikes on data centers inside Russia have interrupted daily life for Russian citizens by cutting access to bank accounts and car-share services, UPI reported on October 19. According to NBC News, cited by UPI, the strikes occurred in early October and hit data infrastructure including Yandex, the largest internet services company in the country. [1]

The disruptions affected Yandex Pay, a digital payment service similar to Apple Pay and Google Pay, alongside systems that unlock smart homes. UPI reported that Yandex provides a wide variety of internet-based products and technical services across Russia, operating similarly to Google in the United States. [1]

The strikes on technology infrastructure follow broader Ukrainian drone operations targeting facilities across Russia. Ukraine previously launched attacks against online retail warehouses, while Al Jazeera reported on October 18 that a drone attack hit energy sites in St. Petersburg and killed one person. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Ukrainian drone strikes have also targeted Russian oil facilities. [2][4][7]

The ongoing operations come amid wider conflict between the two nations, which began after the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union. As FTMQ News reported earlier, recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure have also caused widespread power outages and killed at least eight civilians. [5][6]