Russian technology and AI company Yandex said on Friday that several modules at its data center in the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow had been completely disabled by a drone attack, the second in two days.
“Part of Yandex data center infrastructure in Kaluga was damaged in a drone attack. Several data center modules are completely disabled,” Yandex told Interfax, warning that some of its services may experience disruptions.
Kaluga region Governor Vladislav Shapsha southwest of Moscow said nine people were injured and infrastructure was damaged by Ukrainian drones. He did not comment on the Yandex data center attack.
The strike comes a day after a Ukrainian drone hit another Yandex data center in the Ryazan region southeast of the capital, where two of the three supercomputers used to develop the company’s AI model are housed.
Yandex, whose apps have become an indispensable part of many Russians’ lives, said the attacks had struck at the core of its operations and that it was trying to keep its services going.
“Our teams are working day and night to do everything possible to keep services running and to help those affected by the incident. Right now this is our most important task, but unfortunately it is not an easy one,” the company said in a statement Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the targeted attacks as retaliation to Russia’s recent missile strikes against Ukrainian server facilities in Kyiv.
“We always respond symmetrically,” Zelensky told reporters Thursday.
Russia has conducted a strike campaign against Ukrainian data centers and telecommunications infrastructure over the past month, including targets in central Kyiv.
In the Tver region north of Moscow, a drone reportedly struck an experimental plant described as a major chemical producer of liquid fuel for Russia’s Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles.
Tver region Governor Vitaly Korolyov confirmed a drone attack on an unidentified factory, saying its employees had been evacuated in advance.
In the southwestern Belgorod region, Ukrainian shelling of a residential home killed a husband and wife and injured four others, including a 10-year-old child.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 505 Ukrainian drones overnight.
On Friday morning, reports indicated that Ukrainian also attacked a Lukoil refinery in the northern republic of Komi.
Both Russia and Ukraine have expanded drone attacks this year on economic targets, from energy facilities and refineries to ports and vessels carrying oil and grain, e-commerce warehouses and, most recently, data centers.
Reuters contributed reporting.