Linux creator fires programmers connected to Russia

Several maintainers of the Linux operating system were fired because of their ties to Russia, the system’s creator Linus Torvalds has confirmed. The software engineer explained that he took the move due to being Finnish as well as the sanctions against Moscow.

Last week, an internal email was sent with an instruction to “remove some entries” from the maintainers list. Out of 11 names, nine appeared to be Russian and most of them had a Russian (.ru) email address.

Those delisted oversaw Linux drivers that provide interoperability with hardware from vendors like Acer, according to The Register. 

The names were to be delisted “due to various compliance requirements,” but the maintainers could “come back in the future if sufficient documentation is provided,” the letter stated.

Mailing list participants pushed back, questioning the legitimacy of the move and complaining that it hadn’t undergone proper review.

On Wednesday, Linus Torvalds, who also holds US citizenship, issued a statement in the same thread, alleging that the complaints came from “Russian trolls.”

“It’s entirely clear why the change was done, it’s not getting reverted,” he continued.

“If you haven’t heard of Russian sanctions yet, you should try to read the news someday,” Torvalds wrote, before stating “I’m Finnish. Did you think I’d be supporting Russian aggression?”

Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the US, the EU and their allies imposed an unprecedented raft of sanctions against Moscow. Western firms were banned from doing business with Russian companies and investing in the country; many exited the market entirely.

Linux is an open-source operating system that was created by Torvalds in 1991. One of the most popular platforms on the planet, Android, is powered by the Linux operating system.

According to some commentators, the developers were fired not because of their nationality but because their employers in Russia are sanctioned companies. There are also reportedly still many Russian maintainers working for Linux, but they are based outside of the country.

Finland was part of the Russian Empire between 1809 and 1917. Despite the newly-established Soviet Union’s early recognition of its neighbor, the Winter War of 1939 ultimately led to Helsinki fighting alongside the Axis Powers in WWII in what Finns remember as the Continuation War. Its defeat alongside Hitler’s Germany led to territorial concessions.

While Finland was neutral during the Cold War and in the decades that followed, relations between Helsinki and Moscow deteriorated sharply after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, with the country abandoning its neutrality and joining the US-led NATO bloc in 2023.

Earlier this year, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called on other NATO members to allow Ukraine to use donated weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.