A Russian court has ordered internet company Yandex to hide access to maps and photos due to repeated attacks by Ukrainian drones on one of Russia's largest oil refineries, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Friday. Often referred to as the "Russian Google," Yandex operates Russia's largest search engine and other online services such as maps, translation and email, as well as ride-hailing and food delivery services.
A Moscow court ordered Yandex to remove and edit images of workshops, compressor stations and other parts of the plant from Yandex maps, thereby excluding information on refinery infrastructure from search results.
It is unclear which refinery the court ruling refers to, but the TASS news agency said the facility was attacked by Ukrainian drones four times in 2024.
Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian oil storage facilities and refineries in response to Moscow's February 2022 invasion and multiple attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Yandex declined to comment and did not say whether it would appeal the court order.
TASS said the refinery had tried to resolve the issue directly with Yandex before going to court. The plaintiffs argued that making the refinery information available online harmed Russia's defense capabilities and had a negative impact on the armed forces.