This is a list of countries and territories where Russian is an official language:
| - !scope="col" | No. !width=235 scope="col" | Country !scope="col" | Status | - | 1. | State language (государственный язык - gosudarstvennyy yazyk), the highest level in the country. Constitution: The Russian language shall be the state language throughout the Russian Federation. (Article 68) A few regions in Russia have an additional state language. (2nd level of importance). See: Languages of Russia | - | 2. | State language (дзяржаўная мова / государственный язык), the highest level in the country. Russian is one of two state languages alongside Belarusian. Constitution: The Belarusian and Russian languages shall be the state languages of the Republic of Belarus. (Article 17) | - | - ! colspan="3" | - | a. | South Ossetia | State language, the highest level in the country. Constitution: The state languages in the Republic of South Ossetia are Ossetian and Russian languages. (Article 4) | - ! colspan="3" | De facto entities recognised only by other non-UN member states | - | b. | Transnistria | Official language, the highest level in the country. Constitution: The status of official language is given to Moldovan, Russian and Ukrainian on an equal basis. (Article 12) | - |
| - !scope="col" | No. !width=235 scope="col" | Country !scope="col" | Status | - | 1. | The second highest nationwide status after the state language, but its constitutional status is not quite clear ("the Russian language is officially used"). Constitution: 1. The state language of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be the Kazakh language. 2. In state institutions and local self-administrative bodies the Russian language is officially used on equal grounds alongside the Kazakh language. (Article 7) | - | 2. | The second highest nationwide status after the state language ("the Russian language is used as an official one"). Constitution: 1. The state language of the Kyrgyz Republic shall be the Kyrgyz language. 2. In the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian language is used as an official one. (Article 10) | - | - | 3. | Constitutional status of the "language of inter-ethnic communication", the second highest nationwide status after the state language. Constitution: The state language of Tajikistan is the Tajik language. The Russian language is a language of inter-ethnic communication. (Article 2) Implementation: The Russian language is used in the legislative process. The official publication of laws and regulations is carried out in Russian. | - | - ! colspan="3" | - | a. | Abkhazia | Constitutional status of the "language of the state and other institutions", the second highest nationwide status after the state language. Constitution: The state language of the Republic of Abkhazia shall be the Abkhaz language. The Russian language, equally with the Abkhazian language, shall be recognized as a language of the state and other institutions. (Article 6) Implementation: Lawmaking, legal proceedings and activities of all state and commercial institutions are carried out in the Abkhazian language. Russian is used only when necessary. |
| - !scope="col" | No. !width=235 scope="col" | Country !scope="col" | Status | - | 1. | Russian is explicitly mentioned in the constitution. Constitution: The state language in Ukraine is the Ukrainian language. The state ensures the comprehensive development and functioning of the Ukrainian language in all spheres of social life throughout Ukraine. In Ukraine, the free development, use and protection of Russian, other languages of national minorities of Ukraine, is guaranteed. (Article 10) Additionally recognised minority language by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| 2. | Uzbekistan | Russian is explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, having the status of interethnic. Russian is also the second official de facto language in the country.Article 12: In the Republic of Uzbekistan any notary procedures shall be effected on the official language. Under request of citizens the text of document compiled by state notary or person acting as a notary shall be issued on Russian and if possible on other acceptable language.[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. | Russian is explicitly mentioned in the constitution, having a status similar to the other minority languages recognized in Moldova (Bulgarian, Gagauz and Ukrainian).[3] Romanian is the state language.[4] Constitution: 1. The state language of the Republic of Moldova is the Romanian language based on the Latin alphabet. 2. The shall acknowledge and protect the right to the preservation, development and use of the Russian language and other languages spoken within the territory of the state. (Article 13) | - | - | 4. | Recognised minority language by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.[5] | - | - | 5. | Recognised minority language by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.[6] | - | - | 6. | Recognised minority language by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.[7] | - | - | 7. | Recognised minority language by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.[8] |
| - !scope="col" | No. !width=235 scope="col" | Country !scope="col" | Status | - | 1. | Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) | Status defined in one of the laws of Ukraine for the territory of Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is one of the laws of Ukraine adopted by the Ukrainian parliament) | - | 2. | Gagauzia (Moldova) | Law of Moldova "On the special legal status of Gagauzia". | - | 3. | Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester (Moldova) | Law of Moldova "On the main provisions of the special legal status of localities on the left Bank of the Dniester river (Transnistria)". | - | 4. | 8 communes (Romania) | Law No. 215/2001, adopted by decision No. 1206 on 27 November 2001. |