The Internet on Russia’s National Security Agenda: RuNet and Digital Sovereignty

Abstract

This article examines the RuNet project—a strategic component of Russia’s national security agenda—analysing its role in building digital sovereignty in response to the fragmentation dynamics of the global Internet. Using an exploratory–descriptive qualitative design with methodological triangulation and a transductive approach, it studies the implementation of Federal Law 90-FZ (2019) and its institutional architecture. A bibliometric analysis of 457 academic sources (2020–2025), official Russian legislation, and specialized technical reports was also conducted. The results reveal that RuNet transcends a mere defensive response to Western sanctions, constituting an exportable model of technological resistance across the Eurasian space and BRICS countries. The research identifies an operational triad—state, academia, and industry—that shapes the digital space as a territory of geopolitical power. In conclusion, the article reflects that Russian digital sovereignty represents a paradigm of controlled fragmentation of the Internet that challenges Western hegemony in cyberspace, projecting alternative models of digital governance for the construction of regional orders distinct from the dominant liberal system.