It's not specific to Russian nature. It's the nature of any environment where people are punished for reporting bad news up the chain of command. That's the relevant message most of the HN readership should be taking from this. You'll never be in charge of a Soyuz launch but you might someday be in charge of a project or company that has an opportunity to correct problems before they become disasters. Make sure the workers on the ground floor aren't afraid to tell you about the problems. Conversely if you are on the ground floor and find yourself afraid to report problems, it might be time to start looking for another job.