Although it's been a few years, I spent some time analyzing Warsaw Pact military against western military forces. The Soviet equipment back then was technically inferior to western counterparts. However, the biggest inferiority was in the political oversight at the lowest level and the philosophy that every decision at all levels had to be sent to higher headquarters for approval/disapproval. The only ones with final authority were the Marshalls.
The west, on the other hand, allowed platoon leaders to make decisions without needing approval from higher headquarters. That allowed us to use equipment far technically better than those of the "enemy".
The sad part is that we, the US, has fallen into the old Soviet trap of establishing politically inspired Rules of Engagement that almost eliminate individual decision making and leave us vulnerable to lesser equipped military or terrorist cells. It almost completely negates our technological superiority.
China still has the old Soviet ideology of military command.
But, what is happening in Russia? If anything, some of the equipment is improving but the basic philosophy of keeping equipment "user friendly" remains. The AK-47 is still the main individual weapon, is easy to maintain, and almost indestructible. However, have they changed their ideology? It appears so and that makes them a formidable military force. Some of the old client states such as the Ukraine still abide by central planning and makes them subject to Russian superiority.
The Ukraine is a good example of the changes in Russian military command. The actual Russian forces, there by treaty, have not participated in any of the local uprisings. Those are all being conducted by individual bands following an as yet unknown central command. They are being far smarter than the Ukrainians and I foresee Putin winning Crimea into the Russian Federation without a single gunshot.
That will also send a signal to other client states as what to expect.