[Goose]

Also, going back to Soviet times, the military is deliberately kept weak so that it cannot inflict a coup.  Usually the best and brightest military officers are purged, which shows in their performance in the field, but protected the party (and now the Putin) from a coup.

BC

I would substitute "divided and poorly led" for "weak". Their military is less than the sum of its apparent parts, but it is not necessarily weak. There are also quite a few very good, bright military officers. They are usually sent to the more technical branches and are never promoted above O-6 (and few make it that far). A few Russian units are actually quite good as a result. Most are not. Many of these officers quit when they realize they are dead-ended and an appropriate business opportunity arises. They aren't "purged" as such, but they do know the situation.

The higher echelons are filled based on "political reliability". Also, since in Russia (and until perhaps recently in Ukraine) knowledge is power, Russian higher ranks tell each other as little as possible and what they do communicate is often misleading or outright lies. Nobody trusts anybody, both upwards and downwards. With good reason. Hard to have a coup when nobody trusts anybody else.

[Goose]

Also, going back to Soviet times, the military is deliberately kept weak so that it cannot inflict a coup.  Usually the best and brightest military officers are purged, which shows in their performance in the field, but protected the party (and now the Putin) from a coup.

BC

I would substitute "divided and poorly led" for "weak". Their military is less than the sum of its apparent parts, but it is not necessarily weak. There are also quite a few very good, bright military officers. They are usually sent to the more technical branches and are never promoted above O-6 (and few make it that far). A few Russian units are actually quite good as a result. Most are not. Many of these officers quit when they realize they are dead-ended and an appropriate business opportunity arises. They aren't "purged" as such, but they do know the situation.

The higher echelons are filled based on "political reliability". Also, since in Russia (and until perhaps recently in Ukraine) knowledge is power, Russian higher ranks tell each other as little as possible and what they do communicate is often misleading or outright lies. Nobody trusts anybody, both upwards and downwards. With good reason. Hard to have a coup when nobody trusts anybody else.