Has it not changed at all since the article's publication a bit over a year ago? The author expresses hopes of the new leadership changing things at the end but I take it that didn't happen?
Yes, the situation is slowly changing and currently you don't have to pay a bribe (it is called a "shapka" in article) to buy a new car from a car stores.
BTW: "shapka" or "шапка" (from Russian) is translated to English as a "hat" or "cap". That means, when you buy a thing, you need to also pay for its hat too.
New leadership is now showing its utter incompetence in handling the Covid crisis (official death numbers are severely undercounted, 3x-30x; hospitals are full). It is not nearly as good as their impression they project outside the country.
BTW: "shapka" or "шапка" (from Russian) is translated to English as a "hat" or "cap". That means, when you buy a thing, you need to also pay for its hat too.