second only to 2022, when tech vanished faster than the propaganda budget.
In the first quarter of 2025, Russians bought 20% fewer smartphones than in the same period of 2024. “Izvestia” laments that this is one of the sharpest declines ever—except for 2022, when brands fled en masse and store shelves emptied faster than a Soviet grocery store.
Other gadgets have also seen a decline—perhaps import substitution didn't go as planned again. But officially, there’s no crisis! Everything is stable—it’s just another digital fasting season.
