Brief
Zelensky says Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centres silenced pro‑Russian bots
Zelensky told the Warsaw Security Forum that recent hits on Russian Yandex facilities reduced automated bot traffic on social platforms.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that recent Ukrainian strikes on data centres operated by Russian tech firm Yandex have dramatically reduced the flow of pro‑Russian troll bots on social media. Zelensky made the remarks via video link to the Warsaw Security Forum, as reported by Euronews.
What happened
According to the Gizmodo report, Ukraine struck Yandex data centres three times in the past few days, with the latest attack on 11 October disabling a facility in the Vladimir region east of Moscow. The strike caused widespread internet outages across Russia and neighboring countries that rely on Yandex services.
What the reports add
Euronews cited Cloudflare data showing a 94% drop in automated traffic originating from Yandex on the Sunday after the Vladimir strike, compared with the second half of September. The outlet also noted anecdotal reports from users in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States who said they observed fewer bots on their feeds, though these observations were described as “based on vibes.” Polymarket, an online prediction market, tweeted that activity on several major U.S. political subreddits fell after the attacks, but the claim lacked supporting evidence.
What was said
“When we started responding to Russia’s operation against our data centres and when our strikes reached Yandex data centres, it suddenly became a little easier to breathe on many social media platforms,” Zelensky told the forum, according to Euronews. He added, “A lot of people, a lot of people noticed it, and there was less hate, less division and fewer provocations because there were fewer bots.” He concluded, “And it’s pretty clear where those bots were coming from… If they disappeared when Yandex went offline, this proves again and again that Europe is not the source of the problems.”
How it came about
Felo News previously covered a Ukrainian drone strike that shut down the same Yandex data centre in Vladimir on 11 October, confirming the facility was completely halted and that Yandex services in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia were affected. That earlier report provides context for Zelensky’s claim that the strikes are targeting the digital infrastructure used to amplify Russian propaganda.
Key facts
- Ukraine struck Yandex data centres three times in the last few days, with the latest hit on 11 October disabling a facility in Vladimir region. (gizmodo.com)
- Cloudflare data showed a 94% drop in automated traffic from Yandex on the Sunday after the Vladimir strike. (gizmodo.com)
- President Zelensky said the strikes reduced pro‑Russian bot activity on social media platforms. (gizmodo.com)
- Polymarket tweeted a plunge in activity on several U.S. political subreddits after the attacks, though no evidence was provided. (gizmodo.com)
Sources
- [1] gizmodo.com — originally reported as “Ukraine's Zelenskyy Claims Strikes on Russian Data Centers Silenced Social Media Bots”
