Yeah, the 90s were horrible, very hard times. Country was in big crisis. Now it's different. USPS first class will do (and is doing) well. In some areas there are thieves at post, but those are not Russia but a Caucasian subjects of Russian Federation. I live in big Russian city where it is uncommon. The only thing that might occur is some kind of postal worker's mistake, but that can happen anywhere. So it is better to ship as internationally trackable parcel.
No offense taken, but you say you won't ship to Russia like you're obliged to give a refund if something goes wrong, and you're actually not. When I order something, some sellers point out that they will not guarantee the delivery, therefore won't compensate me anything in case of loss.