These types of statements always seem to predate the CIA issuing another ‘oh my gosh’ statement, that just the opposite is true.
Considering the best USAF air defences are based on the evaluation of S-300 USAF got in 1994 it is a pure BS.
Russians might be lagging centuries behind in every other thing including home plumbing and car building but their SAMs are best by far. Thousands of USAF, USN airmen got it straight since earlier ‘60s, hundreds of them KIA.