Yandex helps websites pushing false news make millions in advertising

A Russian tech giant mostly owned by western investors is helping websites pushing false claims about the war in Ukraine to make thousands of dollars every day through digital advertising.

The Bureau for Investigative Journalism has discovered Yandex-delivered ads appearing alongside misinformation and propaganda produced by more than half a dozen Russian-language news sites. These attracted more than 420m visits in February, according to SimilarWeb, suggesting these sites could be making tens of millions of dollars annually from digital ads.

Some of the sites documented by the Bureau have direct links to the Russian state. The Bureau found Yandex serving ads on the website of the state news agency RIA, and two offshoots of the state-owned Sputnik.

Fidelity said it had decided not to purchase Russian securities in light of recent events, and would consider eliminating its current Russian holdings. Invesco has also been approached for comment.

Yandex and Lenta.Ru have been approached for comment.