Drones Shut Yandex's Sasovo Data Centre, Hitting the Sanctioned Machine-Tool Plant It Shares a Site With
The first confirmed strike on Russian data infrastructure took a Yandex Cloud zone offline, weeks after Russia began knocking out data centres in Kyiv.
The first confirmed strike on Russian data infrastructure took a Yandex Cloud zone offline, weeks after Russia began knocking out data centres in Kyiv.
A drone attack set fire to Yandex's data centre in Sasovo, about 300 kilometres east of Moscow, overnight on Oct. 8 and halted its operations entirely, a company spokesperson told AFP. The fire affected part of the infrastructure. No one was hurt.
Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said two drones were shot down over the region and that the roof of an unnamed Sasovo district enterprise caught fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was hit in Sasovo?
A fire broke out at Yandex's data centre in Sasovo, Ryazan region, after a drone attack overnight on Oct. 8, a Yandex spokesperson told AFP. The data centre sits on the grounds of the Sasta machine-tool plant, according to OSINT groups Exilenova+ and ASTRA.
Which Yandex services went down?
Yandex Cloud reported power-supply problems in its ru-central1-b availability zone. Downdetector logged more than 1,300 reports affecting Yandex Cloud, Documents and Tables, while search and taxi stayed online, per The Moscow Times.
Why does the Sasta plant matter militarily?
Sasta makes CNC lathes and five-axis machining centres. Militarnyi tied it to equipment used in Iskander missile production and past deliveries to Tactical Missiles Corporation and Roscosmos enterprises. The US, EU and UK sanction the company.
Did Ukraine claim the strike?
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, wrote that Ukrainian forces struck a Yandex data centre in the Ryazan region. Ukraine's military had not confirmed it when the Kyiv Independent published.
Is this connected to Russian strikes on Ukrainian data centres?
Russian forces have hit at least eight major data centres in Kyiv since late September, causing internet blackouts, according to The Moscow Times. Kovalenko framed the Sasovo strike as a reply: "Two can play at this game."
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
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Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.