>>513338170
>It's very strange.
It's called pride. A pride of the ruling class.
Putin and all the 70/80/90 years old necrotic power liches in KGB FSB around him wanted to restore the "glory" and "might" of soviet union russia/imperial russia.
To reconquer the old borders and vanquish the people within bordering countries
To be a mighty murderous super power that people bow down to out of fear.

The reality check that they can't achieve that shit doesn't stop them from trying to follow their dreams.
By the way, regular russians are the same way as their elites. They are willing to die to restore "stronk russia superpower empire" title. They get off it.