Yandex Data Centre, a Google Lookalike, Attacked; Netanyahu Pleased

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said around 60% of online activity by Russian actors targeting Israel had disappeared. He attributed this to Ukraine’s attacks on data centres belonging to Russian technology company Yandex.

“Sixty per cent of the online activity by Russian actors against us has vanished,” Netanyahu said, according to Hromadske on Thursday (29 October 2026).

He made the remarks while presenting Israel’s latest national security doctrine. Netanyahu said Russian bot networks had been spreading anti-Israel messages that he described as extreme antisemitism.

Drone attacks on Yandex data-centre infrastructure were carried out several times during October, including in the Ryazan region on 8 October, Kaluga on 9 October 2026, and Vladimir on 11 October.

Tom’s Hardware reported a sharp decline in Russian bot traffic following the attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also commented on the change.

“Suddenly, social media platforms became a little easier to breathe in,” he said.

The claims have not been verified, however. Netanyahu did not explain how he calculated the figures he cited.

Netanyahu also discussed Israel’s relationship with Russia. He said he had repeatedly raised the issue with Russian officials and made sure to speak with President Vladimir Putin.

Israel continues to pursue its interests with Russia where possible. Netanyahu added that his government wants to be able to protect its own interests when the two countries find themselves at odds.