Russian tech ministry credits import-substituted software with sparing country from Friday’s CrowdStrike meltdown

Russia’s Digital Development Ministry said on Friday that the country’s airports were operating normally without any disruption from the flawed software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike that is crashing Windows computers around the world. 

“The situation with Microsoft once again highlights the importance of foreign-software import substitution, especially for critical information infrastructure,” a ministry spokesperson told the news agency TASS. Aviation officials also reported no mass computer outages on Friday, crediting the stability of Russian airlines and airports to the industry’s transition over the past several years to specialized domestic software. Moscow Domodedovo Airport has even offered to share its “Astra” backup registration system, “built entirely in Russia,” with official partners affected by CrowdStrike’s faulty code.

In the fall of 2022, Microsoft users in Russia began complaining about blocked access to Windows updates. In May 2024, reportedly after private conversations with members of the country’s tech industry, Microsoft restored (and supposedly guaranteed) Russians’ access to future software updates. Experts told the news outlet RBC that Friday’s outages likely spared Russia because CrowdStrike’s security systems (the source of the global tech meltdown) are virtually absent in the country.