Yandex, often referred to as the “Russian Google,” is undergoing a restructuring process that will separate its Russian operations from its corporate parent registered in the Netherlands. This move comes in response to the changing landscape brought about by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Yandex was once seen as one of the few Russian companies with global ambitions, but the conflict has altered its trajectory.
The relationship between Yandex and the Russian regime has always been complex. Arkady Volozh, co-founder of Yandex and a resident of Israel since 2014, holds both Russian and Israeli citizenship. Last year, he stepped down from his position as CEO and left the company’s board after facing sanctions from the EU due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a recent statement, Volozh sharply criticized the military operation, calling it “barbaric.” He expressed his horror at the suffering of the Ukrainian people, many of whom are his personal friends and relatives. Volozh acknowledged his responsibility for Russia’s actions, despite having moved away from the country years ago.
One may wonder why Russia hasn’t simply nationalized Yandex. According to Reuters, the Kremlin fears the potential brain drain that would occur if it were to seize control of the company. The Institute for the Study of War suggests that a “crypto-nationalization” of Yandex may be underway. This would involve exerting control over the domestic information space while rewarding Putin loyalists by transferring assets to them, all without driving out the talented tech workforce that Yandex represents.
In another development related to the war, the cyberattack on Viasat in Ukraine during the early days of the military operation proved to be one of the most significant Russian cyber threats. Viasat’s vice president and CISO recently spoke about how the attack unfolded at the Black Hat conference. CyberScoop reports that the attack was more complex than initially believed.
While it’s widely known that the attack involved the use of wiper malware against ground modems, there was a second phase aimed at preventing service restoration. The hackers flooded Viasat servers with requests, overwhelming their networks. In a span of just five minutes, the servers received over 100,000 requests, making it impossible for disconnected modems to reconnect due to the server’s inability to respond. This aspect of the cyber campaign was only discovered later on.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, local gains and failed Russian spoiling attacks have been reported. Efforts by Russia to coordinate Belarus with its war against Ukraine have also been documented. The UK’s Ministry of Defence announced that the 6th Separate Guards Mechanised Brigade (6 SGMB) of Belarus would be conducting an exercise in the Grodno area, near the borders with Poland and Lithuania. The exercise is said to draw lessons from the Russian military’s experience in Ukraine, and there may be a possibility of Wagner Group advisors joining the Belarusian troops in a training capacity. While the exercises are expected to be part of routine training, their timing and location serve Russian interests by projecting a sense of posturing against NATO.
These recent developments highlight the ongoing influence of the war between Russia and Ukraine. As tensions continue to escalate, both the military and cyber fronts are witnessing significant actions and responses. The restructuring of Yandex and the cyberattack on Viasat serve as examples of the broader impact of the conflict on various sectors, including technology and information warfare. The situation remains fluid, and it remains to be seen how these events will unfold in the coming months.