uawire.org
Explosions and internet outages reported amid suspected drone strike on Yandex data center in Vladimir, Russia
A series of explosions were heard overnight on October 16 in the Russian city of Vladimir, according to video footage circulating on social media. Loud blasts echoed through the air and on the ground following what were reported as possible strikes on the Yandex data center. Reports emerged of widespread service disruptions, with Russian users experiencing problems accessing Yandex platforms. The drone strike targeted a site described as a strategic facility, located about 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and 100 kilometers east of Moscow’s outskirts.
The first reports of the explosions in Vladimir appeared online around 1 a.m. on October 16. Local residents posted videos showing flashes, the buzzing of drone engines, and the distinctive flight sound of what some users described as a larger munition, possibly a missile. Administrators of an OSINT social media channel suggested there may have been a second strike on the Yandex data center. Videos from Vladimir captured the reactions of residents to the October 16 drone attack. One local watching the blasts and fire said, “This is some kind of nightmare.” Another, hearing the roar of an incoming munition and another explosion, commented that there was possibly a hit but did not specify the target.
The Yandex data centers are located on the eastern edge of Vladimir, in the Energetik district. According to publicly available coordinates, the site comprises a cluster of four buildings, each with an area of about 6,000 square meters. Nearby lies the Vladimir 750/500/220/110 kV substation, some 1.6 kilometers further east, and a Pantsir air defense system approximately 4 kilometers away, according to details shared online.
As of now, Ukraine’s General Staff has not issued a statement regarding a strike on the Yandex data center in Vladimir on October 16. Vladimir Region governor Aleksandr Avdeev confirmed a drone attack in the region. At 8 a.m. on October 16, Avdeev stated that unmanned aerial vehicles had allegedly targeted a “thermal infrastructure facility,” but said all aerial threats were shot down by air defenses. According to Avdeev, there was “minor damage” and no destruction. He also added that drone attacks were ongoing.
Meanwhile, a monitoring service tracking the performance of internet services in Russia indicated about a 10% outage rate for Yandex services during the early hours of October 16. Users reported widespread problems, including the main site being down, as well as disruptions to Yandex Traffic, Yandex Transport, Yandex Suburban Trains, a non-functioning search page, issues loading search results, and Yandex Maps failing to open.
On October 11, the Yandex data center in Vladimir was previously targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack. Service was suspended after the strike, with the company announcing a complete shutdown of the data processing center. Users reported outages in 80 different Yandex services. Governor Avdeev confirmed a fire at an infrastructure site and the shutdown of two electrical substations. Similar attacks on Yandex data centers were reported in Kaluga and Sasovo near Moscow on October 7 and 8.
Earlier, experts discussed the consequences of strikes on Yandex data centers in Russia and their potential impact on the operation of Russian army air defense systems.
