Ukraine targets Yandex facility and other sites in overnight drone raids on Russia
Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted sites in Moscow, Rostov, and Vladimir regions overnight, including a Yandex data center in Vladimir Oblast. The facility had already been shut after an earlier strike, and Moscow-area airports suspended flights as air defenses engaged drones. Russian officials said dozens of drones were downed, while damage and targets could not be independently verified.
The reported overnight operation on Oct. 16 touched three Russian regions. In Vladimir Oblast, a Yandex data center about 500 kilometers from Ukraine was again targeted; it had already halted operations after an Oct. 11 strike. Earlier Yandex data-center strikes occurred in Ryazan and Kaluga on Oct. 8 and 9.
Around Moscow, four airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Sheremetyevo—halted incoming and outgoing flights, while Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 59 drones were downed. In Rostov Oblast, Governor Yuri Slusar reported harm to industrial and storage sites and a blaze in Aksay, with Chertkovsky district and Bataysk also struck. Independent confirmation remains unavailable.
The reported strikes could disrupt air travel around Moscow, leaving passengers with canceled or delayed flights. Residents near targeted sites may face explosions, fires, and air