all fair points, it's just the general degrees to which things happen and that the regional governors are puppets, basically.

as for improvements, life in Moscow and other top-tier cities is, more or less, fine but Russia's recent golden age was probably about 2005 - 2015 on the back of high oil prices, free internet, much more freedom of speech etc

i personally think that whatever is good now, could have just been much better if Putin has fucked off after his second term, there is no need for a dictator, and the economy is just worse than it would have been if he hadn't started the war

a lot of russia's success, sanction dodging and its successful companies like yandex aren't down to the government or putin being smart, they're down to people and businesses finding ways to adapt in the face of crazy challenges and stupid government