Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Data Centers Cause Drop in Social Media Bots

Social media activity supporting extremist parties in Europe and promoting anti-Israel narratives plummeted dramatically after Ukraine struck several data centers in Russia. "Suddenly, it became a bit easier to breathe on many social media platforms," wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X. "Many people noticed this. Less hate, less division, and fewer provocations."

Impact on Russian Data Centers and Troll Farms

Over the past week, Ukrainian drone strikes disabled three major data centers belonging to Russian tech giant Yandex operating in various regions across Russia. The latest, a data center in the Vladimir Oblast, was shut down on Sunday, causing widespread internet access disruptions for Russian residents.

Simultaneously, researchers and analysts observed a sharp decline in the volume of online publications dealing with radical polarizing topics. For instance, online activity surrounding the German far-right party AfD plummeted by 30% within a day, and by an additional 56% the following day.

"This happens because there are fewer bots, and it is obvious where these bots come from—they disappeared when Yandex was disconnected from the network," said Volodymyr Zelensky.

Global Drop in Online Polarization

On Reddit, discussion volumes in subreddits dedicated to issues such as politics in Ireland or Spain, or general discussions about Sweden, Germany, or the Czech Republic, dropped by dozens of percent. In the case of the irishpolitics subreddit, an estimated 80% decrease was identified following a data center strike on Friday.

Researchers also noted a drop in the volume of posts on X mentioning phrases like "Free Palestine" and genocide, alongside an increase in posts mentioning Zelensky. According to EuroNews, users in the UK reported a decline in online activity surrounding the far-right party Reform UK, while users in the US reported seeing fewer pro-conservative bot replies.