Three main reasons why Ukrainian business does not abandon Russian software
Ukrainian business still runs on Russian software.
Despite the war, sanctions, and growing cyber threats, most Ukrainian companies are still running Russian software. According to the IT Ukraine Association, about 75% of enterprises (500 thousand companies) continue to use 1C or its clones.
And total public procurement of such "hostile" software from 2017 to the fall of 2024 exceeded UAH 1.16 billion. That's how much 2,451 Ukrainian state-owned companies spent on the purchase of hostile software. In 2024, Ukrainian state-owned companies spent UAH 304 million on Russian programs.
And it's not just a habit, it's a structural dependence that has been formed over the years. The most common products are accounting systems, software for restaurants, barbershops, and drones. 1C, Bitrix24, iiko, YCLIENTS – all of them have created entire ecosystems with integrators, training, and local improvements.
According to various sources, there are only 150,000 integrators who work with 1C. Businesses cannot "switch over" in one day because the software is embedded in financial, logistics, and HR processes.
And this is a problem. First, because of security. Software products associated with Russian jurisdictions can provide unauthorized access and data collection. Some of them operate through servers outside of Ukraine and Ukrainian legislation.
Second, because of technological dependence. When critical processes (accounting, document flow, warehouse accounting) are built on someone else's software, the state and business lose control over their own data.
Third, Russian software does not allow Ukrainian software to develop. As long as businesses pay for Russian licenses, Ukrainian developers lose the market, and the country remains technologically dependent.
Three main reasons why Ukrainian companies do not abandon Russian software: habit, lack of knowledge of Ukrainian counterparts, and lack of an effective mechanism for controlling or being held accountable for using "enemy" software.
A working group has been set up in the Verkhovna Rada to prepare a complete ban on the use of Russian software. A transition period of 2-3 years is being considered so that businesses can adapt.
The initiative complements the draft law No. 13505, which defines the list of prohibited programs and the criteria of "hostile origin." According to the draft law, the list of prohibited software will be compiled annually by the State Service for Special Communications and the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The Ukrainian market already has dozens of solutions that can completely replace Russian software:
- 1C/BAS → IT Enterprise, Quincefin, MasterBill;
- Bitrix24 → Uspacy, KeepinCRM, NetHunt;
- YCLIENTS, iiko → Poster, JoinUP;
- Kaspersky, DrWeb → Zillya, CyberX.
Technical replacement is only the first step. Systematic user support, training, marketing and government orders for Ukrainian products are needed.
Businesses can act now: audit their systems, identify risky products, and draw up a transition plan. Because, as the IT Ukraine Association aptly noted: "If 1C goes down tomorrow, half of Ukraine's businesses will stop.".
This risk is reason enough not to wait for laws, but to act today.
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