Technological sovereignty and the development of Russian digital economy: Digital goods imports under sanctions

Untilrecently - prior to the imposition of large-scale external restrictions in 2022 - the development of Russian digital economy heavily relied on the import of goods incorporating digital technologies. Following the introduction of sanctions and the subsequent withdrawal of many foreign suppliers from the Russian market, domestic businesses have nevertheless maintained a strong demand for digital technologies, seeking alternative sources of supply. This article examines the key patterns and structural features of Russian imports of digitally-enabled goods - including information and communication technologies (ICT), additive manufacturing equipment, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and industrial robots - using mirror trade statistics for the period 2012-2023. The analysis reveals that Russian import structure in this sector differs significantly from global trends: while IoT adoption is growing worldwide, Russia remains predominantly focused on ICT, particularly computing and data transmission equipment. The data also show a notable shift in import flows, with Chinese suppliers increasingly replacing those from the European Union. However, in certain sectors, European imports were not fully substituted, indicating only partial import substitution. Furthermore, there are emerging signs of a structural transition from prior dependency on EU suppliers toward a growing reliance on China.