Russian President Vladimir Putin signed today, Wednesday, a decree banning state institutions in Russia from using foreign software in sensitive infrastructure starting from 2025.

The decree, which was signed by Putin, also prohibits government purchases of foreign equipment for sensitive infrastructure without approval starting from March 31 of this year.

In another context, the Russian news agency "TASS" quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov today as saying that the requirement to pay in rubles instead of dollars or euros for buying Russian energy is not a breach of contracts, but Russia is adapting to unprecedented pressures.

Ryabkov said he expects Russia and the European Union to reach an agreement on their dispute within the next few days.

Moscow's insistence on payment in rubles for Russian gas, which meets one-third of Europe's annual needs, was met with strong rejection from European countries.  

Ryabkov said he hopes European countries will change their minds regarding payment in rubles and find an innovative solution to the problem.

He also said he hopes that what he described as the "desperate economic war" waged by the West against Russia will stop.

In another context, a US official said today, Wednesday, citing declassified intelligence, that Putin’s advisers are misleading him about the poor performance of the Russian army in the war in Ukraine and the extent of the damage Western sanctions are causing to Russia’s economy.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "We believe Putin is receiving false information from his advisers about the weak performance of the Russian army and how the Russian economy is being paralyzed due to sanctions, because his top advisers are very afraid to tell him the truth."