[Cronos]

In Political terms it is as “communist” as China - with a ruling oligarchy

[Rocco DiPippo]

No it's not. That description is just something you've imposed on what it actually is; not a communist state but a republican government system with separated powers. On the other hand, China is governed by the CCP, a Marxist-Leninist party that controls everything there. China most definitely is a communist, one party state with enough capitalism allowed to keep its people fed and its Party officials rolling in the cash.

Of course, it could be said that Russia's government is not true to its republican ideals in the way that the US government no longer represents the will of the people it governs. As much as I loathe Putin, it seems to me that his government caters to the wishes of the Russian people better than the US government caters to the majority of Americans' wishes.

No, Russia is by no means a "communist state." It is only nostalgic Cold Warriors and anti-Russia propagandists who push that erroneous, rickety view.