the people seem to overwhelmingly support the government despite these serious shortcomings

BTW, few people actually support the government. The best way to confirm this is to look at the public reaction to the attempted coup by Prigozhin in summer 2023. It ranged from apathy to amusement, the same kind you would have if you were watching Fast&Furious 21 (or whatever number they're up to). However most people don't oppose the government either and just go about their daily lives. It's similar to what most Americans are doing right now despite their country turning to mask-off fascism, dismantling all their all social safety nets and flaunting a world war.