Yandex co-founder denounces Russia's aggression against Ukraine: 'I too bear responsibility for the country's actions'
Arkadi Volozh, co-founder of Russia's most popular search engine Yandex, denounced Russian aggression against Ukraine in a statement published by the independent Russian publication Meduza on 10 August.
"I categorically oppose Russia's barbaric invasion of Ukraine, where I, like many others, have friends and relatives. I am appalled that every day bombs fall on Ukrainian homes. Despite the fact that I have not lived in Russia since 2014, I understand that I too bear responsibility for the country's actions," Volojh said.
The co-founder of the Russian tech giant has lived in Israel with his family since 2014.
"There were many reasons why I had to keep silent. I am against the war," he added.
The EU sanctioned Volozh in June 2022, arguing that his company serves Russian government interests and promotes pro-Kremlin media and narratives, as well as censoring content critical of the regime.
For example, in November 2022, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets noted that Mariupol buildings destroyed by Russia were hidden on Yandex's online maps, while remaining visible on Google Maps.
Following the sanctions, Volozh resigned as CEO of Yandex and other senior positions in its subsidiaries. The company also sold its news services to a Moscow-controlled social media platform.
The company has also clashed with Russian authorities. This year, in June, a Russian court fined Yandex 2 million rubles ($20,500) for repeatedly refusing to provide Russian security services with information about its users.
In early August, Volozh introduced himself as a "Kazakhstan-born Israeli entrepreneur" in his online biography, omitting his Russian ties.
