In many high tech sciences, the Russians are actually very far advanced. Remember they created laser eye surgery and their physicists came up with the math for stealth (luckily the Soviet central committee of stupid bureaucrats didn't think it important), they have the more advanced ion drives that we've bought before and quite a few other things, like anti-missile systems for their tanks and the latest in fighter-bombers.
Not quite the 3rd world illiterate hell hole of Mexico.
That's true, but Russia still can't deliver power and heat reliably to its citizens and it has an oligarchy/mafia that controls most of business in the country. It's a weird place where some things are sophistocated and some things are third world.
I think you take your chances any time you deal with them.