Understanding Russia’s Efforts at Technological Sovereignty

Russia’s leadership has invented many stories about its invasion of Ukraine. To justify its invasion, Moscow argued that Ukraine is a failed and corrupt state in need of “denazification.” In addition, Russia has maintained that it was using “high-precision” weapons that only struck military targets, and that the West is responsible for the global food and energy crisis. In recent weeks, another narrative has become more prominent in the Russian discourse regarding the war in Ukraine: the narrative of technological sovereignty. Specifically, Russian officials have highlighted the importance of not being reliant on foreign technologies. They have been emphasizing how technological independence from the West is critical for Russia, and that it will be able to achieve it despite widespread sanctions and its current economic situation. “Technological sovereignty” or “technological independence” are not particularly new terms or concepts. In response to Western sanctions after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has pursued a policy of import substitution. It has also tried to eliminate its dependence on states that have imposed those sanctions. Since 2015, the government has been engaged in efforts to promote domestic products and demonstrate Russian self-sufficiency in agriculture and defense, among other sectors. These measures were framed as part of a quest for “economic sovereignty” and Moscow’s conviction that the Russian economy should not be vulnerable to political decisions from abroad.