Ukrainian Drone Strikes Disrupt Russian Disinformation Bots

• •Ukrainian drone strikes targeted Yandex data centres, disrupting Russian disinformation bots.
• •Reports indicate a significant drop in Russian bot activity on social media following the strikes.
• •Ireland's Deputy Callaghan calls for increased investment in cybersecurity to combat foreign disinformation.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian data centres reportedly led to a significant decrease in online bot activity associated with Russian disinformation campaigns. The strikes targeted facilities operated by Yandex, disrupting parts of its digital infrastructure. Reports indicate that the number of Russian propaganda bots on social media decreased following these attacks, although independent verification of these claims is pending. Deputy Catherine Callaghan emphasized the need for Ireland to bolster its defenses against foreign disinformation, citing the drop in bot activity as alarming. The European External Action Service noted that in 2025, 29% of foreign information manipulation incidents were attributed to Russia. The impact of these drone strikes raises questions about the physical infrastructure supporting online disinformation and whether targeting such facilities can effectively weaken disinformation campaigns.