--- title: "Zelensky claims fewer bots after Ukraine attacks Yandex data centres" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/zelensky-claims-fewer-bots-after-ukraine-attacks-yandex-data-centres" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/zelensky-claims-fewer-bots-after-ukraine-attacks-yandex-data-centres" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/zelensky-claims-fewer-bots-after-ukraine-attacks-yandex-data-centres.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/zelensky-claims-fewer-bots-after-ukraine-attacks-yandex-data-centres" category: "Media" area: "Russia" published: "2026-10-12T17:25:29.638Z" source_reported: "2026-10-12T17:11:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-12T17:25:29.638Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 57 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-12T18:08:19.043Z" --- # Zelensky claims fewer bots after Ukraine attacks Yandex data centres *Cloudflare data shows a sharp drop in YandexBot traffic following strikes on Russian infrastructure.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named body (Cloudflare data) and Zelensky, but relies on anonymous sourcing for bot activity. - Craft 57 of 100, higher is better. Reports include digests from many outlets, but only two full reports are provided for detailed analysis. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines suggest a definitive link between the attacks and bot disappearance, which is then qualified in the reporting. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said social media has become less hostile and experienced fewer bots after Ukrainian attacks on Yandex data centres. - Cloudflare data indicates a significant drop in YandexBot traffic following the strikes. - Online commentators and some users have observed a decrease in bot activity, particularly those supporting right-wing parties. - Experts express caution in directly linking the Yandex data centre attacks to a complete cessation of Russian disinformation bot activity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that social media has become less hostile and experienced fewer bots following Ukrainian attacks on Yandex data centres. Cloudflare data shows a significant drop in YandexBot traffic after drone strikes on Yandex data centers. ## Disagreement on the cause of bot activity drop Metro News reported that Zelensky said it was 'pretty clear where those bots were coming from, if they disappeared when Yandex went offline.' However, Metro News also quoted Nazarova, a senior security researcher at Cybernews, who said, 'We cannot draw a direct connection between the attacks on Yandex data centres and changes in activity from Russian “disinformation bot farms”.' Pieter Arntz, a researcher at Malwarebytes, added that 'Russian-operated social-media bot farms certainly exist, but we haven’t seen evidence tying a fall in their activity to these strikes.' ## What the coverage left out None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports mention the specific cost of the drone strikes or the estimated financial impact on Yandex. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (5) - Centre: 30% (3) - Right: 20% (2) 19 of 29 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-12T18:08:19.043Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-12T18:15:29.380Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that social media has become less hostile and experienced fewer bots following Ukrainian attacks on Yandex data centres. Metro News and The London Economic highlighted the observed decrease in bot activity. Metro News also included expert caution regarding directly linking the Yandex data centre attacks to a complete cessation of Russian disinformation bot activity, quoting Nazarova and Arntz. HuffPost It and The Verge also noted the drop in bot activity and its potential connection to disinformation, particularly concerning right-wing political groups. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the observed drop in YandexBot traffic following Ukrainian drone strikes on Yandex data centres. ppc.land detailed the Cloudflare data showing a collapse in YandexBot traffic, noting that while the crawler drop is measured and real, the social media bot claim remains a hunch. Euronews also reported on Zelensky's claims and the user-reported collapse of bot activity, while also noting the debate around the cause. ### Right - The single right-rated report, WOLF, framed the development as 'a small bit of good news from the war,' highlighting that Russian bot traffic had taken a hit following Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centres. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 1 - high: 6 - unknown: 20 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [NOS](https://nos.nl/artikel/2634726-oekraine-richt-vizier-nu-op-russische-datacenters-en-het-trollenleger) — Ukraine Now Targets Russian Data Centers and the Troll Army - [borsen.dk](https://borsen.dk/nyheder/tech/har-ukraine-lige-renset-internettet-for-russiske-bots) — Did Ukraine Just Clean the Internet of Russian Bots? - [Stirile Antena 1 Observator](https://observatornews.ro/extern/atacurile-ucrainenilor-asupra-centrelor-de-date-yandex-au-dus-la-scaderea-brusca-a-botilor-rusi-pe-retele-668862.html) — Have Ukrainian Attacks on Yandex Data Centers Led to the Sudden Decline of Russian Bots on the Networks? - [yle](https://yle.fi/a/74-20251095) — Ukrainian Attacks Silenced Russian Bots, Claim Ville Niinistö and Volodymyr Zelenskyi – There Is No Clear Evidence - [Metro News](https://metro.co.uk/2026/10/12/russian-bots-dropped-off-ukraine-attacked-data-centres-29700401) — Have Russian bots dropped off after Ukraine attacked its data centres? - [flight.com.gr](https://flight.com.gr/ukrainian-drone-strikes-yandex-data-centers-russian-bots-social-media-activity-collapse) — Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Data Centers and Sudden "Disappearance" of Pro-Russian Bots From Social Networks - [ppc.land](https://ppc.land/yandex-crawler-traffic-drops-94-after-drone-strikes-on-3-data-centers) — Yandex crawler traffic drops 94% after drone strikes on 3 data centers - [Unknown](https://obozrevatel.com/ukr/section-novosti-mir/news-stalo-menshe-rosiyskykh-botiv-onlayn-trampistka-lora-lumer-zaklykala-amerykantsiv-podyakuvaty-zelenskomu-za-pidryv-rosiyskykh-data-tsentriv-12-10-2026.html) — “There Have Been Fewer Russian Bots Online”: Trumpeter Laura Lumer Urged Americans to Thank Zelensky for Undermining Russian Data Centers - [dailyguardian.ca](https://dailyguardian.ca/the-yandex-outage-probably-didnt-blitz-russian-bots) — The Yandex outage probably didn’t blitz Russian bots - [The London Economic](https://thelondoneconomic.com/politics/reform-figures-see-social-media-engagement-drop-after-strikes-on-russia-data-centres-410517) — Reform figures see social media engagement drop as bot accounts 'fall silent' - [technobaboy.com](https://technobaboy.com/2026/10/12/bot-traffic-drops-after-drone-strikes-hit-yandex-data-centers) — Bot traffic drops after drone strikes hit Yandex data centers - Technobaboy - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/c7b76c8cd13eaec4) — The Yandex outage probably didn’t blitz Russian bots - [The Verge](https://theverge.com/tech/1009594/russian-bots-yandex-outage-drone-strikes-debunk) — The Yandex outage probably didn’t blitz Russian bots - [Aktual24](https://aktual24.ro/atacurile-ucrainei-au-redus-la-tacere-botii-din-rusia-activitatea-automata-s-a-prabusit-cu-peste-99-dupa-distrugerea-unor-centre-de-date-efecte-asupra-propagandei-pro-trump-si-pro-afd) — Ukrainian Attacks Have Silenced Russian Boats. Automatic Activity Has Collapsed by More than 99% After the Destruction of Data Centers. Effects on Pro-Trump and Pro-AfD Propaganda - [AntyWeb](https://antyweb.pl/ukraincy-uderzyli-w-centrum-danych-yandex-czy-propagandowe-konta-naprawde-wyparowaly) — Ukrainians Attack Yandex's Data Center. Did Propaganda Accounts Really Vaporize? - [HuffPost It](https://huffingtonpost.it/esteri/2026/10/12/news/yandex-22897777) — Siege to the Bot Factory. The Yandex Case and Questions About Online Propaganda Pro-MAGA and AfD - [Le Grand Continent](https://legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/10/12/les-frappes-ukrainiennes-sur-des-centres-de-donnees-de-yandex-ont-elles-affaibli-les-fermes-a-trolls-russes) — Have the Ukrainian Strikes on Yandex Data Centres Hit Russian Troll Farms? - [pmo.ee](https://pmo.ee/8563158) — The Destruction of Yandex Data Centers Also Had an Impact on Russian Online Propaganda - [knews.media](https://knews.media/2026/10/12/impact-of-ukrainian-strikes-on-yandex-data-centers-reduces-russian-bot-activity) — Impact of Ukrainian Strikes on Yandex Data Centers Reduces Russian Bot - [www.kleinezeitung.at](https://kleinezeitung.at/artikel/41349525/hat-die-ukraine-russlands-troll-fabriken-das-handwerk-gelegt) — Has Ukraine Laid the Craft for Russia's Troll Factories? - [ostro.org](https://ostro.org/news/ukrayinski-udary-po-data-tsentrah-yandeksa-obrushyly-rosijski-botofermy-i570116) — Ukrainian Attacks on Yandex Data Centers Brought Down Russian Botfarms - [1news.com.ua](https://1news.com.ua/podii/zelenskyj-zmenshennya-botiv-u-sotsmerezhah-svidchyt-pro-efektyvnist-udariv-po-yandeksu.html) — Zelensky: the Decrease of Bots in Social Networks Indicates the Effectiveness of Attacks on Yandex - [BCharts Fórum](https://bcharts.com.br/t/urgente-ucrania-destroi-datacenters-na-russia-atividades-de-bots-da-extrema-direita-despencam/101223?page=2) — URGENT: Ukraine Destroys Datacenters in Russia, Bot Activities From the Far Right Collapse - [hromadske.ua](https://hromadske.ua/en/war/272379-yandex-bot-traffic-plunges-after-ukrainian-strikes-on-russian-data-centers-fueling-disinformation-debate) — Yandex bot traffic plunges after Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers, fueling disinformation debate - [Fine Gael](https://finegael.ie/disinformation-and-online-bots-pose-major-threat-to-our-democracy-callaghan) — Disinformation and online ‘bots pose major threat to our democracy – Callaghan - [Euronews](https://fr.euronews.com/2026/10/12/les-frappes-ukrainiennes-sur-les-data-centers-de-yandex-ont-elles-fait-chuter-les-bots-rus) — Did the Ukrainian Strikes on Yandex's Data Centers Cause Russian Bots to Fall? - [Nettavisen](https://nettavisen.no/nyheter/zelenskyj-farre-boter-etter-ukrainske-angrep-mot-yandex-datasentre/s/80-95-152267) — Zelensky After Data Center Attack: – There Were Fewer Fines - [WOLF](https://fox56.com/news/local/a-small-bit-of-good-news-from-the-war-russian-bot-traffic-takes-a-hit) — A small bit of good news from the war: Russian bot traffic takes a hit - [Unknown](https://interfax.com.ua/news/telecom/1218269.html) — Zelensky: After Attacks on Yandex Data Centers, There Were Fewer Bots in Social Networks ## Questions **What did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky say about social media after the attacks?** President Zelensky stated that social media has become less hostile and experienced fewer bots following Ukrainian attacks on Yandex data centres. He suggested this decrease in bot activity was a clear indicator of the effectiveness of the strikes. **What does Cloudflare data show regarding Yandex bot traffic?** Cloudflare data indicates a significant drop in YandexBot traffic, with some reports showing it fell to near zero or 0.4% of its recent peak after the drone strikes on Yandex data centres. This traffic is primarily associated with Yandex's search engine crawler. **Do experts agree that the Yandex data centre attacks caused the drop in Russian disinformation bots?** Experts express caution in directly linking the Yandex data centre attacks to a complete cessation of Russian disinformation bot activity. They note that Cloudflare data tracks search crawlers, not necessarily social media bots, and that evidence tying a fall in disinformation bot activity to these specific strikes is lacking. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/zelensky-claims-fewer-bots-after-ukraine-attacks-yandex-data-centres. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Zelensky claims fewer bots after Ukraine attacks Yandex data centres", https://mediabias.news/media/zelensky-claims-fewer-bots-after-ukraine-attacks-yandex-data-centres