Yandex was probably one of the best and the most innovative Russian companies, and attracted the best workforce. But it cooperated with Putin's regime long before the war. It censored opposition narratives in its search results and promoted pro-Putin content [1]. It continues to promote Russian propaganda even today (try any Ukraine-related search query in Russian). Now it's under the oversight of a Putin's man, Alekei Kudrin [2].

Sadly, Yandex is not a neutral company and is just another weapon in Putin's hands.

[1]: https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/a-story-of-non...

[2]: https://t.me/AlekseiKudrin/48