Sergei, for instance, cried when his new parents brushed his teeth. Dealing with food also proved interesting. They were not given milk, just juice and hot tea made with tap water. Sergei likes his tea dark. Also, some airlines help.
Russian adoptions depend very much on local officials.
Most are done outside of the major cities where local authorities are faster and easier to work with. To further expedite the process, agencies have established relations with many orphanages and maintain representatives on the sites. Only babies whose mothers have given written permission, or who were found abandoned, are allowed to be adopted abroad. The fear is that the government might clamp down on permissions, but that doesn't seem likely now. However, the Russian government does plan to control the proliferation of agencies by accreditation limited to those that are already established and proven.