Following Ukrainian strikes on data centers belonging to the Russian network Yandex, its traffic on Estonian websites has dropped by nearly 100%, reports ERR News.The Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) reported that, following the Ukrainian strikes on data centers in Russia, the number of requests from Yandex had plummeted nearly 420-fold by October 13 compared to September figures. RIA noted that, overall, Yandex traffic on Estonian websites has decreased by 99.8%.Last week, Ukraine struck three Yandex data centers: one in Sasovo on the 8th of October, one in Kaluga on the 9th of October and one near Moscow on the 11th of October. Operations at the data center near Moscow were halted. Foreign media have reported that the strikes on the data centers also impacted Russian online influence operations, including a reduction in the activity of English-language bots—which typically align with far-right viewsHowever, RIA noted that it is too early to predict whether the number of Russian cyberattacks will decrease. Simon Berner, an analyst at the Authority’s Analysis and Prevention Department, stated there is no reason to assume that disruptions to Yandex’s operations would significantly impact the frequency of cyberattacks targeting Estonia. Such attacks rely on an extensive infrastructure that is not solely dependent on Yandex’s operations.The RIA is not responsible for monitoring Russian online influence activities (including the tracking of social media bots and trolls) and therefore could not confirm or deny reports suggesting a decline in such activity.Yandex also operates food delivery and taxi service apps used by millions of people, and the company has noted that data centers are critical to their functioning. Yandex taxi services were banned in Estonia in 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data center halt its operations on Estonian websites
