Today's Digital Economy as Russia

Russia as a digital economy requires imperative analysis in the light of national security, especially given the pace at which China and the US advance their digital manufacturing technologies as well as the scale of using such technologies when oppressed by sanctions. The methodology of preventive crisis management, which is intended to enable sustainable development, is what requires identifying the 'red flags'. This paper dwells upon the contrast between the actual socioeconomic processes and the assessments that shape the public opinion on digital economy. This is a study into the symptoms indicating that Russia as a digital economy is at risk; the goal hereof is to tackle some of the challenges of digitalizing Russia's economy in the context of existing threats. Research uses qualitative and qualitative tools for statistical analysis; it also analyzes the meaning of the Russian Government's policy documents. The key finding is that the use of IT in today's Russia is limited by social (physical and mental health), economic (limited return on investment), and environmental (energy intensity) factors, which requires a duly responsible approach to managerial decision-making.