The country I live in spent the past 20 years disarming and trying to figure out how to integrate LGBTs. Putin modernized his military during that time, thanks to free access to Western technology. It will soon show.
Putin has tried to make some improvements to his military, but for the most part they are still two generations behind and their command and control still sucks - they still don’t allow their small unit commanders to exercise initiative.
I understand your sentiments, but the Russian military is far behind us at the moment. A few more Progressive administrations will be necessary to lessen the gap because our technology and training is still superior. However while we enjoy dominance, our political leadership is pathetic and our rules of engagement make any fight difficult.
With that said, the Spetsnaz with air support will be more than a match for their enemies in Syria. They are a very aggressive infantry force much like our Rangers.