In general, clones are never as good as the real thing. The Russian has done it pretty well, but their consistency in manufacturing and function leaves a lot to be desired.
I don't think it's as black and white as you're making it out to be. While it's true that there are a lot of authentic mods/devices that operate better or have better build quality than the clones, there are plenty of clones that either (a) outperform or improve on the original design, or (b) are so close in performance that it's hard to tell the difference.
I know this is a touchy subject, and I realize that there are people on both sides of the fence. I am certainly not a supporter of replicas. I view them differently than I would a 'clone'. I don't mind someone taking a design that works, and implementing it through their own brand at a far more affordable price than what the original producer could.
If clones allow those that can't afford the originals to have the same quality vape as the original (or close to it) and it helps keep them off of analogs, then I say rock on.
I have purchased both originals and clones, sometimes of the same device and I have had instances where the clone is a complete piece of garbage and I have had others that have been as good as or better than the original, while costing, in some cases, over $150 less. I've even had cases where I've purchased the clone first, and liked it so much that I then went out and bought the original.
To each his own on this one. If it works for you and keeps you off of analogs, then go for it, clone or not. If you can stay away from the full-on replicas that clone the logos themselves then do that, because that's not just copying a proven design, that's complete misrepresentation, but otherwise, get what works and what you can afford.