Ukraine Hits Iskander-Linked Factory and Yandex Data Center in One Strike

Ukrainian forces struck the Sasta machine-tool plant and a Yandex data center located on the same industrial site in Sasovo, Russia’s Ryazan region, overnight on October 8, according to the Ukrainian OSINT community Exilenova+ on October 8.

Footage published after the strike showed a large fire burning across the industrial complex. Shortly afterward, reports emerged of widespread problems affecting Yandex Cloud, including disruptions to power supply and difficulties accessing computing resources, networks, data storage, databases, Kubernetes infrastructure, and other cloud services.

It has not yet been independently confirmed whether the reported Yandex Cloud disruptions were directly caused by damage at the Sasovo facility.

The Yandex DC Sasovo data center has a stated electrical capacity of up to 12 megawatts and is designed to host tens of thousands of servers, making it an important part of the company’s cloud infrastructure.

The second reported target, Sasta, is one of Russia’s larger operating machine-tool manufacturers. According to OSINT group Varta, the company runs a full production cycle for metalworking equipment, from design and casting to machining and final assembly, and employs roughly 627 people.

The plant manufactures CNC lathes and milling machines, five-axis machining centers, heavy turning equipment, automated production lines, and specialized machinery built to customer specifications.

Its significance goes beyond civilian manufacturing. Sasta is reportedly integrated into supply chains supporting Russia’s defense-industrial complex, including production associated with the Iskander tactical ballistic missile system.

The plant’s machinery is also used by Russia’s aerospace sector to manufacture high-precision components and assemblies. Sasta has previously supplied specialized equipment to enterprises belonging to Tactical Missiles Corporation and Roscosmos.

That role has already drawn international attention. The company is under sanctions imposed by the US, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and other countries over its links to Russia’s military-industrial sector.

Previously, Ukrainian forces struck the Snizhne Machine-Building Plant in the temporarily Russian-occupied Donetsk region using FP-2 attack drones.

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