Moreover, all economic figures on Russia are meaningless. The trick is to get the informal economy back on the books. That, we should all remember, is something that the Russians are masters at. It should also be remembered that the fact that Russia s military is in a state of disrepair simply means that there is repair work to be done. Not only is that true, but the process of repairing the Russian military is itself an economic tonic, solving short and long term problems.
Military adventures are a psychological, economic and political boon for ailing economies.
Machiavelli teaches the importance of never wounding your adversaries. It is much better to kill them. Wounding them and then ridiculing and tormenting them is the worst possible strategy. Russia is certainly wounded. It is far from dead.