(for research/educational purposes only)

"Klebanov also said a government commission was set to be formed next month and members would travel the country to check on progress against the bug."

Yahoo! News Technology Headlines

Thursday June 24 2:05 PM ET

Wake Up To Y2K Bug, Duma Tells Russia

By Adam Tanner

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's parliament told the nation Thursday to wake up to the dangers of the 2000 computer glitch, but a new law provided no real remedy for a problem Moscow has been slow to recognize.

The law, passed unanimously by the State Duma lower house, obliged government and private entities to work out plans for averting chaos at midnight on December 31.

Computer experts in the West have been busy for months to make sure that older computer systems do not go haywire by mistaking the year 2000 for the year 1900.

The new law marks a growing realization that Russia too is exposed to the risks, which could shut down public utilities and throw air traffic into confusion.

Shortly before the Duma vote, the government's top official overseeing the so-called Y2K problem dismissed the dangers.

``Russia expects nothing terrible,'' Ilya Klebanov, deputy prime minister for the military industrial complex, told Ekho Moskvy radio.

Although Russia has fewer computers than the West, experts have raised fears because of the country's vast nuclear arsenal, atomic power stations and other industrial facilities.

Fears of a Y2K flaw confusing military radar systems have prompted the United States to propose joint staffing of missile early warning stations to prevent a mistaken warning of a missile attack.

Cooperation on Y2K military issues has continued despite a halt in other military ties because of the war in Yugoslavia.

Klebanov also said a government commission was set to be formed next month and members would travel the country to check on progress against the bug.

Former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, who was sacked in May, had set up a commission in January to combine efforts by central and local government.

``Work is proceeding fruitfully, but as always there is not enough financing,'' Klebanov said.

He said some ministries, such as those for atomic energy and fuel and energy, were dipping into their reserves for funds to beat the bug.

Russian government experts have said the country needs $2-$3 billion dollars to tackle the millennium bug. Military officials say they have just $4 million to spend on upgrading the nuclear arsenal's computer brains.

By contrast, the U.S. state of Texas alone is spending $280 million to fight the millennium bug.

The Duma legislation passed Thursday does not provide new funding but obliges those who own computer systems to bear Y2K-related costs. It also says entities with computer systems must warn users of possible failures in the system and work out crisis plans in case failures occur.

Last week President Boris Yeltsin also issued a decree urging measures to deal with the problem.

-- (fake@out.com), June 24, 1999

Answers

What a relief!!!!

I have been extremely concerned about the Russian/Y2K scenario for some time, especially the nukes. But now that I have the following infomation in hand, I like the rest of you, can be at ease.

'Military officials say they have just $4 million to spend on upgrading the nuclear arsenal's computer brains.'

For awhile there I didn't think they had any remediation funds available...silly me.

-- Barry (barryjaynes@usenvitech.com), June 24, 1999.

Perhaps no country in the world will be harder hit by Y2K than Russia. Remember, this is a country that was once ahead of us in space technology, all designed and run on mainframe computers. Now, they're passing meaningless laws in June of 1999 requiring that everybody wake up and fix the bug. Too late. Russia goes Mad Max in about six months.

That alone should frighten the pollys. But nothing fazes them.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), June 24, 1999.

Dog Gone....

When you back a Bear into a corner, you best be ready to put him down. I can just see the new bartering system from the land of Stoly: 'Plutonium for Pancakes, anyone?'

-- Barry (barryjaynes@usenvitech.com), June 24, 1999.