Putin is playing some amazing 4D chess here.

First he infiltrated the Ukrainian military and militia forces in 2014, to overthrow the Russian-aligned Ukrainian government and install a pro-US, anti-Russia government, all so he would have an excuse to invade.

Then he used Russian infiltrators disguised as Azov and Right Sector neo-Nazis to attack gays, Gypsies and Russian speakers, in order to start a civil war between Kiev and eastern Ukraine. Then used his agents in the Ukrainian military to shell civilian targets in Donbas, and rape, torture and murder Russian speakers, in order to manipulate the USA and NATO into training Azov soldiers in urban warfare and NATO tactics. Then after Russia invaded, Putin had his agents bomb the jail where the captured Ukrainians were held; murder civilians who accepted Russian aid; shell the nuclear power station being held by Russian forces; and most cunning of all, use Ukrainian artillery firing from Ukrainian held land to shell civilian targets in Donbas with banned Ukrainian anti-personnel "petal" bombs.

Basically the entire Ukrainian war is a giant false flag with the Russians fighting Russian infiltrators wearing Ukrainian uniforms, while the poor innocent Ukrainians do absolutely nothing at all.