The Russian state has stirred up a strong and very irrational national-ethnic hatred of Ukrainians from what I've seen. Their continued resilience is an insult to Russian pride and chauvinism, so the nationalist will pay heavy costs to try to make them kneel. If there's criticism, it's that the leadership is not killing Ukrainians competently enough, not that killing Ukrainians or going to war is wrong.

Like that racket they tried of getting teenagers to firebomb the Ukrainian diaspora in Europe. Completely strategically irrelevant, and could only be motivated by hatred.