A court in Moscow has for the first time ordered Yandex to block access to maps and photographs of the infrastructure of one of Russia's largest oil refineries due to the threat of attacks by Ukrainian drones.
The lawsuit was filed by a "supervisory authority" conducting checks on defence-industrial sector legislation, which discovered publicly available information about the refinery’s facilities.
It also notes that the refinery has been attacked four times by Ukrainian drones in 2024, causing damage to its infrastructure and injuries to its employees.
Before approaching the court, the supervisory authority tried to resolve the issue directly with Yandex, but to no avail.
The court ruled that open access to maps and images of the refinery "undermines the country’s defence capabilities" and "negatively impacts the timely supply of materials" to the Russian army.
The court ruling specifically concerns the Ryazan Oil Refinery, part of Rosneft.
This refinery processes 17.1 million tonnes of oil annually and is one of the primary suppliers of motor fuel to regions around Moscow. »
