Introduction

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of Russia sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of Russian sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 85.3

Russia remains a member of key multilateral structures — the UN, BRICS, SCO, CIS, CSTO, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a number of others. Cooperation with Western organizations (Advice Europe, RE) it has been discontinued, and the course has shifted towards the "global South" and the East. After the amendments to the Constitution (2020), national legislation takes precedence over decisions of international bodies if they contradict the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Lugovoy’s Law (2020) He consolidated the exclusive jurisdiction of Russian courts in cases involving authorized persons, allowing them to ignore foreign arbitration forums. According to observers, Russia remains politically stable, but the level of centralization and dependence of the elites on the supreme power has increased.

According to Worldwide Governance Indicators (World Bank), an indicator of Government Effectiveness Russia's target for 2023-2024 is about 44 points out of 100, which corresponds to the global average.

The main weaknesses are bureaucratization and uneven efficiency across regions. According to the UN E-Government Index (EGDI 2024), Russia ranks 33rd out of 193 countries, entering the category of "very high level of development" with a score of 0.826. The developed portals Gosuslugi and GosTech support the national digitalization of management.

According to VTSIOM and Statista polls, in March 2025, the approval level of the activity of President in Russia amounts to 81-83%. Sociologists note a high degree of mobilization confidence in the face of international pressure. On the territory Russia has no foreign military bases.

On the contrary, Moscow itself is deploying military contingents in foreign countries. — Syria (Khmeimim, Tartus), Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc. Thus, the military strategic sovereignty is complete. After leaving the jurisdiction of the ECHR (2022) Russia does not recognize the decisions of transnational courts on its territory. At the same time, Russian courts periodically consider cases under international arbitration if they do not affect national security or sanctions.

The distance from transnational justice is almost complete. The Russian Federation is a de facto unitary state with strict centralization. The constitutional reform of the 2020s and new laws on state power combined local government with the vertical of executive power. The regions have limited autonomy and are financially dependent on the federal government.

Russian special services (FSB, SVR, GRU) are subordinate to President, and their activities are not regulated by independent supervision. Parliamentary control mechanisms are absent or formal. Level of transparency in the field of security and human rights is low.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 98%.

Economic sovereignty — 90.6

According to the data World Bank and Trading Economics, GDP per capita in Russia (by purchasing power parity) In 2025, it is about 42,400 USD, or 235% of the global average. International reserves Russia (as of October 9, 2025) They amount to 713.3 billion US dollars, which is a historical maximum.

A significant part is accounted for by gold, the volume of which increased by 43.8% in the first half of 2025 (≈ 500 tons additional). According to Trading Economics and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, the national debt Russia accounts for 17.1% of GDP in 2025, which is one of the lowest rates in the world.

The main part of the debt is internal, in rubles. Russia is in the group of self-sufficient countries: According to the Global Food Security 2025 index, the availability of basic products exceeds 90%. There is no import dependence on grain and basic products — the country is a leading exporter of wheat and oilseeds.

Russia is a completely energy-independent country, one of the world's leading powers in terms of oil, gas and coal reserves. Natural gas reserves (≈ 37 trillion m3) are the first in the world, and energy exports ensure strategic sovereignty. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment records an increase in proven reserves in 2025: silver (+ 4 thousand tons), gold (+ 500 tons), copper and platinoids.

Russia remains in the top 5 in the world in terms of total resources — about 20% of the world's reserves of platinoids, nickel and hydrocarbons. Russia is one of the top 3 countries in the world in terms of freshwater reserves (after Brazil and Canada). The total volume is about 4,130 km3 (about 20% of the world's resources).

The largest water reserves are Baikal and Lena, Yenisei, Ob, Amur. The national payment system includes 28 operational centers and in 2025 fully ensures all internal payments through the NSPK (Mir) — a national payment card and a fast payment system. Bank Russia carries out operational management and emission control.

According to the Central Bank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2025), the Russian currency accounts for more than 50% in export operations (in 2021 — 19%). In trade with BRICS, the EAEU, the ruble has become one of the main currencies of mutual settlements between Turkey and Asian countries.

Issuing Center — Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank Russia), performs all operations related to the issue, regulation of liquidity and the key interest rate. Monetary policy is aimed at the stability of the ruble and domestic lending; in 2025, the key rate is 13%, the issue of the ruble is not tied to external institutions.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 99%

Technological sovereignty — 70.2

According to the data World Bank, research and development costs in Russia accounts for about 0.93 % GDP is below the global average (1.19%), but in absolute terms it is more than $10 billion per year. The national strategy 2030 sets a goal to increase the share of R&D to 1.5% of GDP.

According to the RSPP study of 2025, 74 % Russian technology companies have implemented import-substituting solutions in the fields of IT, mechanical engineering and electronics. The focus is shifted to the transition from licenses to in-house development Software and system electronics.

According to the data Ministry of Education and Science According to the World Bank, in 2025, higher education coverage in Russia's population reaches 64-65% of the population aged 18-24, which corresponds to the level of developed countries. There are about 700 universities and 400,000 researchers in the country.

According to the Digital 2025 Russia Report (DataReportal), Internet penetration in early 2025 is 92.2% of the population (133 million users) . The average connection speed is 26 Mbit/s (mobile) and 89 Mbit/s (fixed).

The Internet is used mainly through Russian platforms and messengers.

Russia is developing an ecosystem of national digital resources:

• RuStore (alternative to Google Play);

• VK Ecosystem (social networks, messages, payment processing);

• Yandex services (search, navigation, entertainment, delivery). The national project "Gostech" provides integrated digital management through 100+ public services until 2030.

Despite import substitution, the country still imports critical components of microelectronics, robotics and pharmaceuticals. According to The Ins (2025), 9 critical positions (lithographic machines, boards, optoelectronics) remain a bottleneck for self-supply. The Gosuslugi platform and the GosTech unified system integrate 52 federal and regional information systems; 30 more are under development.

All new solutions are based only on domestic Software and include artificial intelligence modules for the social sphere. According to EFKO and Ministry of Industry and Trade (2025), Russia provides up to 70% of the demand for biotechnological products (biotests, vaccines, microbiology) due to the domestic market and exports to the EAEU.

They work nationally. biotechnology centers in Skolkovo, Belgorod, and Novosibirsk. The National Technology Initiative program supports a robotics cluster (Kalashnikov, Promrobot, and Sberbank Robotics).

The share of domestic robots in the industry is about 38%, the rest is imported from Asia. From 2023 to 2025, the market will grow by 27%. Within the framework of the federal program "Development of the electronic industry 2030" and new factories in Zelenograd, Saratov and Novosibirsk, Russia has achieved partial self-sufficiency in the production of 90 nm and 65 nm chips.

Capacities for 28 nm technology are being created for joint projects with By China and Belarus.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which ensures 96% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 82.3

Russia is one of the countries with a high level of information security. According to the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 — the "Progressive" level, score 92.13 out of 100, is included in TOP 15 world leaders. The RU CERT state center and the private CERT F6 are responsible for cyber defense, both are officially included in the FIRST international network.

The TransNet 2025 Conference announces that the main node of MMTS 9 (Moscow) It unites 480+ operators and serves as the core of the Runet infrastructure.

The country is developing decentralized network points (IX) on the basis of commercial data centers, increasing network fault tolerance and the speed of traffic exchange in the regions. Russian is the main language in the media space. 

The multifunctional national center "Russia" is being created for the development and popularization of the Russian language in media and education. State media (Channel One, Russia 1, Sputnik, RT, TASS) they broadcast in Russian and 40+ foreign languages for a foreign audience.

After leaving Microsoft, SAP and Oracle in 2022-2023, Russia switched to its own digital solutions and in 2025 reduced dependence on Western IT companies by 75-90% in government and critical infrastructure. This includes the creation of video hosting and messenger substitutes (RuTube, Yappy, Rossgram).

According to research Roskomnadzor and RANEPA (2025), more than 80% of media traffic in Russia accounts for local platforms (VKontakte, RuTube, Yandex.News, Odnoklassniki, Telegram channels). The national content in the video segment has increased fivefold compared to 2019. The share of domestic software in the public sector reached 43% in 2025, 75% in the financial sector, and 40% in critical infrastructure.

The leading systems are Astra Linux, 1C, PostgreSQL based DBMS, MyOffice, TrueConf. National project "Digital Economy" It provides for full digital coverage of public services. Gosuslugi Portal integrates more than 500 functions — tax, social, educational, medical.

The share of citizens registered in digital government resources has exceeded 90%. According to Russoft and The Ministry of Finance, the Russian cloud services market has exceeded 22 billion rubles, and the main players (Yandex Cloud, Selectel, VK Cloud, Rostelecom Data Centers) they provide local storage of all government data. AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure foreign clouds are prohibited in government agencies.

The mobile infrastructure is managed by Russian operators (MTS, Megafon, Rostelecom, Tele2). A system of "white lists" has been introduced since 2025 critical services that operate during partial Internet outages for security reasons. Full control over the 5G network is assigned to Russian equipment developers.

The regulator is Roskomnadzor: supervision of data localization under Federal Law 152 "On Personal Data". All foreign companies operating in the Russian Federation are required to post personal data of Russian citizens on local servers. The Law on "Sovereign Runet" (2019) and the 2023 amendments supplemented the traffic monitoring and network filtering regime through centers under the control of Roskomnadzor and the FSB.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD, and specialized sources, with 98% coverage.

Cultural sovereignty — 89.4

Russia is part of the The TOP 10 world countries in terms of the number of UNESCO sites are 33 sites (30 are included in the The list and 31 more in the preliminary list). Key sites — The Kremlin and The Red Square (Moscow), The historical center of St. Petersburg, Lake Baikal, Altai, Plateau Putorana, Kizhi, Solovetsky Islands.

Russia has had a global impact on classics, philosophy, ballet, literature, theater and cinema Her contribution — Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Diaghilev, Eisenstein, Shostakovich, Pasternak, Nabokov, Gagarin in cosmoculture.

This tradition persists in modern Russian culture, from art to cinema. The main state awards — The State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art, The Cultural Award Russia", the Moscow Prize in the field of Art, the Golden Mask Theater Award, the Triumph Music Award. "Cultural Russia" It awards young talents for their contributions to literature, theater, cinema, and the visual arts.

Russian identity is based on a synthesis of Orthodox, Slavic and Soviet values. The main traditions — Christmas, Easter, Maslenitsa, Ivan Kupala, Day National Unity. Traditional culture persists, but takes on alternative digital forms in the 21st century, changing under the influence of globalization. Russia officially recognizes 190 ethnic groups and supports them through a system of ethnocultural autonomies and federal grants for the preservation of languages and folklore.

Events include festivals, craft fairs, and regional houses of national cultures. At the same time, some researchers note limitations in supporting multilingualism and bottom-up initiatives. The Ministry of Culture manages more than 120,000 cultural institutions, including 46,000 libraries, 46,500 cultural houses, 66 circuses, and 388 parks.

For 2025, the national project "Culture" is being implemented in the country, covering all 89 regions; by 2030, the number of facilities will increase to 20,000 new modern spaces. The main project is "Russian Seasons" 2025, which took place in Bahrain and Oman, which includes The Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergieva, ballet Vaganov Academy, Lezginka Ensemble and exhibitions The Hermitage and The State Historical Museum.

The project demonstrates Russian culture outside and under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Within the framework of the state strategy cultural policy until 2030 has strengthened control over the protection of intangible heritage and the registration of national brands in WIPO and Rospatent.

The strategy describes the priority of preserving historical unity and "cultural sovereignty" through the creation of government orders for high-quality content. Russia unites 15 national cuisines and dozens of local traditions — Russian, Tatar, Chechen, Buryat, Yakut, Karelian, etc. Regional festivals ("Smak Russia," "Gastronomic map") they promote the brands of Baikal, the Urals and the Caucasus.

Culinary diversity is recognized in UNESCO through the position of the East Slavic gastronomic identity. According to the Ministry of Culture (national project "Culture" 2025), 56 % The population regularly participates in cultural events (museums, festivals, theaters). The goal by 2030 is to raise this figure to 70%.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 97%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 87.1

According to the UN report (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), HDI Russia — 0.832, which belongs to the group of “very high development" and corresponds to the 64th place in the world. Indicators: The expected life expectancy is 73.2 years, the expected duration of education is 13.2 years, and the average is 12.4 years. According to the data World Bank, education costs in Russia's total is 4.05 % GDP in 2025.

The share remains at the level of the national average with an increase compared to previous years, which is comparable to the level of the OECD countries. Russia retains one of the highest literacy rates in the world — 99.9% of the adult population. Youth literacy (15-24 years old) — about 99.7%, which reflects full coverage of basic education.

According to PISA 2023 (OECD), Russia ranks 27th, with an average score of 481.7 in mathematics, science, and reading. The results are in line with the OECD average, with a moderate downward trend compared to 2018. Russia is part of the TOP 5 countries in the world by the number of STEM graduates.

The share is about 29-30% of all graduates of higher education institutions, or about 520,000 people per year. The main areas are engineering, information and natural sciences. Russia supports more than 400 joint programs with foreign universities, including double-degree programs with China, Belarus, Egypt, Vietnam and India.

"Open Doors" and "Rossotrudnichestvo" programs About 400,000 international students are attracted annually.

On the territory More than 100 languages are spoken in Russia, and according to official estimates, about 35 are on the verge of extinction. There are programs for the preservation of languages such as Tatar and Sakha. (Yakut), Buryat, Bashkir and Chuvash, including the creation of bilingual schools and cultural centers.

There are more than 1,100 state research institutions in Russia and 10 federal universities with the status of national research centers. New laboratories are being created within the framework of the program "1 million genomes by 2030" — the state national database of genetic data with a volume of up to 35 petabytes. National platforms "Russia Online Education", "Stepik", "Open Education", "University 2035" and "Savings Class" They cover up to 80% of universities and about 15 million users.

These resources are the basis of digital learning, they work on the domestic market. Software and servers. Federal programs "Russia – Land of Opportunity", "Sirius", "Priority 2030" and "Young Professionals" They receive state support in the amount of more than 120 billion rubles a year. Initiatives include grants, scholarships, and centers for the development of scientific and managerial competencies for young people and scientists.

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 90%.

Military sovereignty — 96.5

According to SIPRI (April 2025) and The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation estimates military spending at about 7.2% of GDP (15.5 trillion rubles, +3.4% by 2024). This is the highest level since the early 2000s, exceeding social spending and accounting for about 40% of the federal budget. By the beginning of 2025, as part of The Russian Armed Forces have 1,134,000 active-duty personnel.

550 thousand are Ground forces, 170 thousand are Aerospace, 119 thousand — the Navy, and about 50 thousand — strategic missile forces. The Zapad 2025 exercises confirmed the shift in focus to high-precision long-range strikes and integrated air defense systems and electronic warfare.

At the same time, experts note that the army still relies on Soviet platforms and the "Initial Period of War" doctrine with limited weapons upgrades. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and SIPRI confirm that in 2025, the country fully meets domestic military needs based on its own production and retains the 3rd place in the world in arms exports (after the United States and France).

Production of all types of weapons according to The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been increased by 15-20%. The FSB Border Directorate provides perimeter control of more than 60,000 km of land and sea borders. Within the framework of the military partnership with Belarus (Zapad 2025 exercises) The borders in the western direction are guarded by joint forces, and "Oreshnik" missile systems and tactical nuclear weapons are deployed on Belarusian territory under Russian command.

According to parliamentary sources and the Institute for the Study of War, Russia has created an active reserve system of 2 million people, including contract soldiers and those who have been partially mobilized.

Reservists are trained annually and can be called up without announcing a new mobilization. Russia supports formal alliances (CSTO, CIS, SCO), but conducts military operations exclusively nationally, without reference to the obligations of the allies.

Even in-depth cooperation with China is not a military alliance, it is a practical partnership "without mutual obligations." The defense industry covers about 4.5 million people (3% of the working-age population).

The sector maintains high production growth rates and expands exports, but is subject to international sanctions and is experiencing a shortage of components, which leads to a "simplification and slowdown in production" new weapons. According to SIPRI data for 2025, Russia has about 5,580 nuclear warheads, of which 1,710 are deployed, the rest are in reserve or on disposal.

Russia retains a strategic binary triad (RS-24 Yars ground-based missiles, Borey A submarines, and bombers Tu 160 and Tu 95MS). Russia has a global network of GLONASS satellites (26 active devices) and a military reconnaissance orbital group of more than 70 optical and radar surveillance satellites.

In 2025, the expansion of the military space program (Cosmos 2560, Perseus, Burevestnik) is underway, providing reconnaissance, navigation and target exploration for the Strategic Missile Forces and the Aerospace Forces.

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state-owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO – 96% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths: Macroeconomic stability. The national debt is about 17% of GDP, significant gold and foreign exchange reserves ($ 713 billion), a surplus of foreign trade and high self-sufficiency (fuel, agro, metals). Even with a decrease in growth rates, the economic base remains balanced and controlled by the state.

Energy and raw materials sovereignty. Russia is a leader in natural gas exports and one of the world's top 3 suppliers of oil, coal and uranium fuel. Energy independence is 100%. High level of human development and literacy. The HDI index is 0.832 (a group of "very high development"), almost universal education and 99.9% literacy.

Scientific and educational potential. 1100+ state research institutes, 10 national research universities, 29% of STEM graduates, a wide network of digital platforms and government programs (Sirius, Priority 2030).

Military defense self-sufficiency. 7.2% of GDP is spent on defense, 2 million reservists, 5,580 nuclear warheads, top 3 arms exporter, 70+ reconnaissance satellites and its own missile defense/air defense system. Information and digital sovereignty. National VK Platforms, Yandex, Mir, and SBP have replaced Big Tech; 92% Internet penetration and strict legal control over data. Cultural and civilizational influence.

33 UNESCO sites, 120,000 cultural institutions, Cyrillic and Russian languages are international identifiers; state cultural programs expand external "soft power."

Weaknesses. Demographic and personnel shortages. The decline in the birth rate and the outflow of young professionals in the context of mobilization create a shortage of labor and pressure on the economy.

Technological vulnerability in high tech. Critical dependence on imports in the fields of lithography, semiconductors, high-precision optics and automation. Financial rigidity and a high key rate. Monetary policy remains tight (rate ~13%), investments in the private sector are limited, growth GDP is slowing down to 2%.

The isolating effect of sanctions. Limited access to foreign technologies, capital, and markets complicates the modernization of high-tech industries and suppresses competitiveness. Concentration of power and low institutional transparency. Centralization of decisions and limited parliamentary control delay managerial reforms and innovations.

Environmental and water risks. 20% of the world's water resources with local shortages in the South; high urban pollution and aging infrastructure.

Transformation of the civil sector. The reorientation of industry towards military needs reduces the share of innovations for the civilian market and the service sector.

Overall assessment. The cumulative index of Russia's sovereignty is 601.4 out of 700 points (High — 85.9%), which places the country in the top 10 in the global top. In 2025, Russia is a state with a high level of sovereignty and record military and economic self-sufficiency, a strong scientific and cultural base, but with limited flexibility of the civilian economy and dependence on internal administrative capital.

The main vectors of strengthening are demography, investments in high technologies and gradual liberalization in non-military science and innovation. The sovereignty profile indicates that by 2025 Russia has established a stable and high level of national sovereignty, from financial and military self-sufficiency to digital and cultural control over the internal environment.

The country has become one of the three world powers with full digital and military nuclear sovereignty. Demographic aging, innovation constraints, and selective global integration remain key challenges, requiring a balance between closure and modernization.