You are wrong to be ambivalent. Russia is a vastly less free country than the United States.
For example, please see https://freedomhouse.org
For example, please see https://freedomhouse.org
I agree with you to a certain extent but, please, this is a broken "proof".
The UK sucks just as bad. The current PM has just announced plans to regulate the web if they win the next election.
Please don't be so naive as to equate the UK and USA with Putin's Russia.
But given the light and dark elements to data operations within many countries, I'd imagine you might be the one possibly being naive.