Indeed! They are punching above their weight.
Well the west have been training them since the invasion of Crimea and have taken a rabble and moulded them into an effective fighting force while weeding out those that were holding them back. I wouldn't say punching above their weight these days, more like holding their own and on par with a lot of modern western contemporaries, they have shown excellent ability to take on new technology, absorb the changes and use them effectively.
Russia on the other hand have shown the effect of having corruption rife through both the military and industry, where syphoning funds for personal gain appears to be the norm at the detriment of the equipment and manpower produced, after all the average Russian officer or industry probably never expected their goods or men to be actually tested in combat.
So slip a few backhanders and get the latest kit through testing, whether fit for purpose of not, and rob your troops blind of the equipment they should expect while flogging it on the black market, from rations to uniforms to weaponary, it was open house.
Then take them to war telling them it is simply another drill... so your troops do not realise they are invading until they are actually in Ukraine, provide them with basics, lack of body armour, ammunition or target goals , give them maps that are decades out of date, and steal the funds that were put in place for the invasion.
https://www.businessinsider.com/russ...op=1&r=US&IR=T