This article is identical to articles about Russia that the Economist published 15 years ago. There is no new information, no real insight. It’s just propaganda against the current government by people with an agenda and no balance or context. The Economist magazine folks are hard line globalists who hate Trump and want Hilary Clinton style open borders and social liberalism for all nations. The Economist magazine has never cared about the well being of anyone, it simply represents the amoral interests of transnational capital.
Yes don’t throw baby out with the bathwater. The book its reviewing is the focus here and Kovalev loves his country and gave a lot to it. Many Russians critical of the current state of their country write from a place of patriot’s pain.