Do some R&D on what happened to the GRU Spetz units post the Berlin Wall falling - which was right after Afghanistan.
"Russia" already hurting in men and material post Astan, was dismantled - and the economic collapse and purge of pro soviet officer cadre took its Toll.
Also research Russian Orbat and effectiveness in both the Chechnyan conflicts.
The Russians eventually fell back to the one thing they had a superiority on - rocket forces.
They replaced skill with brute force.
A 1998-2005 Para Cdo was superior warfighter than any spetznas soldier.
Ironically the ONE thing we had going for us untill the mid 2000s was our combat experience. No longer can claim that with expect the Chinese