No, you misunderstood the process. If you want to apply for visa directly (with all necessary documents), you would go to the consulate in the past. Now, you have to do it through ILS. It is still considered a direct application, and it would still be your responsibility to gather all necessary bureaucratic paperwork.
On the other hand, VisaHQ does more than just apply for visa on your behalf. They obtain all necessary documentation and forms too - as a result, you get a visa in your passport without doing all this work yourself.
No, I understand that ILS replaces going to the Russian consulate directly. I was just wondering what VisaHQ would do that ILS can't, but you answered that for me. Thanks.