Genghis,
Agree with your points..but the Russians did have a habit of doing it first for the sake of it..and not being able to mature the result....
A number of those items you mention are applicable.....as is the Tu144...first to fly, first to M1 and M2 but never actually achieved its aim.. so was it really the first commercial airliner to fly? It was never subsequently a commercial airliner...
Pedantic I know but it does have a certain validity...