> Russia is one of the few powers who's borders have retreated in my lifetime
What part of russian border retreated in your lifetime?
Well, Putin did border agreements with China and gave them territory no so long ago.
I am sure "Putin is a foreign agent working against the interests of Russia and Russians (killing them by literal millions)" is not the response he waited to counter his narrative of "Putin defending poor Russia". :-)
Chechnya did briefly.
Suppose they're conflating Soviet Union with Russia