@KingOfWhiteAmerica @KyotoSong @Turkleton I contemplate multiple scenarios as possible at the same time, but my most likelyone at least for the moment as a cause of this all is trauma in the russian collective consciousness over the fall of the soviet union.
I have lots of contact to russians. Many are nationalistic so they don't mourne the loss of the soviet union and hate putin for being the soviet communist remain he is, but the more general russian types are under the illusion that they had single handedly defeated the Nazis in 1945 and ruled the world until 1990 when they got betrayed by Gorbatchev who was a "puppet of the queen of england and Nato" and their beloved soviet union got dissolved, and they wanna bring the good old days back because they forgott how fucked up the constant lack of everything, surveillance, brainwashing, and people disappearing without notice was.
Thats what i see in the used symbolism, and the russian internal propaganda which is totally different from what the russian channels and outlets directed at the west are saying.

I wouldn't rule out that this is just a smoke screen for a superior goal like a slavik or european meat grinder. What i can say is that the ukrainian will to defend their homeland is genuine, even more since they had successes. If there is a slavic meatgrinder happening both sides are willing to participate to a certain degree.
Same as France and Germany were both willing to pump blood into Verdun over 100 years ago.