I'm 71 and ex military. The context is pretty straightforward. Putin wants his empire back. 2014 showed Putin that the world was not going to hinder him. He embarked on a military expansion, using the money from oil and gas to do so. Once he was satisfied with the expansion, he looked for excuses to invade Ukraine. He found some, lied his head off about the rest and voila! You have a war. He can't even tell the truth about that. "Special operation". There's nothing special about it. Except that Ukraine would not lie down and die and much of the world decided that Putin had gone too far this time.
This would hold substance if you could prove that the chain of events of war events between Russia and Ukraine wasn't fixed between the two side to begin with.
You being ex military should realise more than anyone else how soilders are made to feel indespensable, so are your sure that you where never used as a war game between the two leaders in any active duty you served.
Many wars are now thought of as absolutely not necessary.
Like no evidence was ever found showing Saddam Hussein was producing weapons of mass destruction.
The Falklands war by even the UK forces ex soliders think the war was not necessary.
Vietnam war thought to be a waste of time.
Afghanistan same
ukraine and Russia have been playing war games for decades man.
Israel and the so called rightful heirs of there land the Palestinians
Wargames for decades.
Terrorist organisations forcing there way into power through war.
Ira terrorist soldiers in Ireland
both now seen as legitimate soldiers of war.
or are they all striking deals with the existing terrorists of our world, the world leaders.