TL;DR
The Association of Internet Trade Companies has asked Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to create emergency rules for retailers during mass outages in state information systems. Its proposals include delayed data transmission without penalties and temporary permission to process Russian personal data in “friendly” countries; officials say the letter will be reviewed.
Russia’s Association of Internet Trade Companies (AKIT) has asked Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to establish emergency rules for retailers during mass outages in state information systems, including permission to send delayed records after service returns. The proposal also calls for temporary storage and processing of Russians’ personal data in countries Russia considers “friendly,” a change to current rules requiring that data to be handled inside Russia.
The proposals are set out in a letter to Mishustin, according to the Russian business daily Kommersant, which reported on the document. AKIT wants sellers to be allowed to record information they cannot transmit on time and submit it once the affected infrastructure is restored. It also proposes backup transmission methods and protection from penalties for missed deadlines while an “emergency mode” is in effect.
AKIT prepared the letter after Ukrainian drone strikes on data centers belonging to Yandex and Sberbank, according to the report. The association said those attacks did not cause major disruption to retail at the time, but argued that rules should be ready for a future force majeure. The letter reportedly contains additional proposals that AKIT has not disclosed.
The food-industry group Rusprodsoyuz told Kommersant that isolated outages had occurred, forcing some companies to stop operations and switch to paper records. Russia’s Economy Ministry and Finance Ministry told the newspaper that AKIT’s letter “will be reviewed in accordance with the established procedure.” Their statements do not indicate whether the government supports any of the proposals.
Retail Rules During System Outages
The request addresses a practical problem for businesses that must submit or process information through state information systems: if those systems are unavailable, companies may be unable to meet required deadlines even when they keep operating. A formal emergency regime could define what retailers may do during an outage and whether delayed submissions can lead to penalties.
The data-storage proposal has a separate regulatory consequence. Current rules require Russians’ personal data to be stored and processed inside Russia, according to the report. Allowing temporary handling in “friendly” countries would create an exception to that requirement. The proposal is a request, not an approved policy, and the report does not specify which countries might qualify or what safeguards would apply.
For shoppers, the reported disruptions so far appear limited: AKIT said the data-center attacks did not cause major retail problems, while Rusprodsoyuz described isolated interruptions at some companies. The request is therefore about preparation for possible larger outages, rather than a report of nationwide retail shutdowns.
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Attacks Prompt Contingency Request
AKIT’s letter followed drone strikes on data centers owned by Yandex and Sberbank, as reported by Kommersant. The source material does not provide the dates, technical impact, or further details of those strikes. AKIT said they did not produce major retail disruptions, but cited the possibility of force majeure as a reason to establish a procedure in advance.
Reports from Rusprodsoyuz offer a narrower account of effects: it said some companies faced isolated outages, halted operations, and used paper records. That account does not establish how many businesses were affected or how long the interruptions lasted. The government has said the letter will go through its standard review process; no decision or timetable has been reported.
“The attacks did not cause major disruptions in retail at the time, but a special regime should be established in case of force majeure.”
— AKIT, as reported by Kommersant
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Proposal Has No Government Decision
It is not clear whether the government will adopt any of AKIT’s recommendations, how long a proposed emergency mode would last, or what conditions would trigger it. The ministries have only said the letter will be reviewed through the established process.
The report also does not identify which “friendly” countries could be considered, how personal data would be protected there, or what limits would apply to temporary storage and processing. AKIT has not disclosed several other proposals in its letter. Available information does not establish the number of companies affected by prior outages, their duration, or whether the data-center strikes caused those specific interruptions.
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Ministry Review Comes Next
The immediate next step is the government’s review of AKIT’s letter. No decision date, public consultation, or draft legal change has been announced in the reported material. The ministries could respond through the established review process, but their statement does not promise a policy change.
Further details would be needed to assess any eventual rules: the outage threshold for activating them, which records could be filed later, how businesses would use backup transmission, and what penalties would be waived. Any exception for data stored abroad would also need clear limits and safeguards. Until officials announce a decision, the proposals remain requests from a business association.
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Key Questions
What is AKIT asking the Russian government to do?
AKIT wants special rules for retailers during mass outages in state information systems. These would allow businesses to record information, submit it when service returns, use backup transmission methods, and avoid penalties for missed deadlines during an emergency mode.
Why did AKIT make the request?
According to Kommersant, AKIT prepared its letter after Ukrainian drone strikes on data centers belonging to Yandex and Sberbank. AKIT said the attacks did not cause major retail disruption, but argued that businesses need rules for a possible force majeure.
Would the proposal change Russia’s personal-data rules?
It could, if adopted. AKIT proposes temporarily allowing Russians’ personal data to be stored and processed in “friendly” countries. The report says current rules require the data to be handled inside Russia.
Has the government approved the proposals?
No approval has been reported. The Economy and Finance ministries told Kommersant that the letter would be reviewed through the established procedure, without saying whether they support it.
Source: rss
