Yandex (YNDX) holds around 70% of all search queries in Russia, consolidating its position as the dominant domestic search engine and outpacing global rival Google, according to motoram.ru.

Yandex is one of a rare example of a local search engine outstripping the global behemoth and dominates “RuNet” – the Cyrillic based online world made up of around 500mn people. The result is doubly impressive as unlike other online services, the Kremlin has placed no restrictions on Google’s Russian operations whatsoever.

Dmitry Masyuk, head of the Yandex search technology and AI business group, said the company had reached what he described as a “psychological mark” in capturing roughly seven out of 10 user queries nationwide. The remaining 30% of searches are handled by Google, he added.

“In Russia, most users search for information through Yandex,” Masyuk said, attributing the milestone to improvements in thematic search capabilities, object-based answers and the integration of its Alice artificial intelligence technologies.

The company said the result was unusual globally, arguing that “there are no other countries in the world where a similar service would outperform Google with free user choice”. In most markets, Google maintains a dominant share, often exceeding 90%, according to industry estimates.

Only a handful of other markets exist where Google is not the leading player, led by China and South Korea. In China, Baidu dominates with a similar 60–70% share and Google has a near-zero presence due to regulatory restrictions. In South Korea, Naver leads with approximately 50–60%, compared with Google’s 30–40%, reflecting the strength of local language optimisation and integrated portal ecosystems. Smaller or more nuanced cases include Japan, where Yahoo! Japan retains 20–30% share but runs on Google’s underlying search technology, meaning Google remains dominant at the infrastructure level, and the Czech Republic, where Seznam still holds 10–20% despite having been overtaken by Google in recent years.

Yandex’s strong position comes amid a broader reshaping of Russia’s technology sector following the exit or scaling back of several western digital services since 2022. The group has invested heavily in AI-driven products and ecosystem services, including search, ride-hailing and e-commerce, to retain users within its platforms.

Search remains a strategically important segment for Yandex, underpinning its advertising revenues and data-driven services. The company has in recent years prioritised the development of machine learning tools and natural language processing to improve query responses and compete with global advances in generative AI.

Masyuk said features such as enhanced thematic search and AI-assisted answers had played a key role in strengthening user engagement and driving growth in query volumes.

Yandex has been a victim of the Ukraine war and was broken into two parts in 2024. Yandex N.V. – the Dutch parent of the Russian internet company –announced its exit from the Russian market on February 5, 2024, selling its Russian operations to a consortium led by the local management team and select oligarchs for RUB475bn ($5.2bn) – the largest corporate exit from the country since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The Russian part of the business retained about 95% of its value after spinning off its international assets to the founder and former CEO Arkady Volozh.

Volozh is one of only two leading Russian businessmen to openly criticise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “barbaric war”. He went on to found Nebius Group, a "neocloud" provider with data centres in the US, Europe, and Israel, boasting clients such as Microsoft (MSFT). In March this year, the company raised $4bn in convertible bonds to fund its development.