Yes, they screwed up big losing the Kursk. And their initial frantic efforts, when there was still a plausible chance to save a few, went incomplete. However, they won a lot of respect from me with their effort to recover their bodies, to raise the wreck, even when they had to accept foreign help and risk losing face. And they not only conducted an adequate investigation into the causes of her loss; they were willing to accept the results. Even though it cost them more face. Maybe not perfect, but inconceivably better than how it would have been done a generation before. Yes their leadership still can be laughable. But then look at ours. And our navy, under them, has had plenty of laugh until you cry moments. After my parents visited USSR in 80s they reported the Russians had lost their souls. It’s slow, but I prefer to look for evidence they’re growing some back.
Only thing I can say is they lost all respect when they had to get a foreign power to actually clean up the bodies. They feigned nobody died for a long time, like the USSR did with Chernobyl that nobody was hurt.
The Russian/Soviet government isn’t just nasty, it’s beyond an reproach! From 1924 to today!