There are a lot of well intentioned, well informed articles about Russia here, but IMHO, and personal experience, many don't show a real understanding of the Russian people.
I was in Russia making a film during perestroika (1990) so I have a little first-hand knowledge, very little really, but I can 110% back what this article is saying. (It is called “12 Reasons Why Russia Sucks.”)
Putin was smart in letting the Russians who were even a little likely to give him trouble self-exile themselves — about 750,000 from what I was told? What's left is what's described in that article.
Read it and you'll get a grasp of why things aren't going to get any better any timed soon, no matter what happens on the military or economic landscape.