To be fair, this is a recognized Russian ploy, used in Armenia, in the Caucasus and in Georgia. OTOH, Russia has had a Crimean port for a long time and the area has been somewhat of a Russian 'province' throughout modern history.
This present evil administration in Washington wants to hold up UKR membership in NATO and ejection of all Russians from eastern UKR as a cause for war if not implemented.
And the eastern Russian speaking regions of Ukraine wanted Russia to help them.
Rumors are that Russia is taking out bio-labs financed by the US: https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/after-months-of-denial-u-s-admits-to-running-ukraine-biolabs/ that were responsible for everything from the cold(covid) virus to deadly diseases to aerosol bio-weapons capable of unknown death and destruction on a worldwide basis.Sounds a lot like a CIA op to me.
But, what do I know.
Also, underground in Ukraine, other rumors are child smuggling is number one in the world.With children,from all over the world being used as slaves, sold on a world-wide basis and often killed during the process of making adrenochrome. THen their body parts bring more money to Ukraine than even the U.S. can get laundered.
So just these few reasons, if real, do give some credence to the Russians invading Ukraine. And that's before we even bring up how the Azov nazis that have been harassing the Russia-friendly people of the Donbass since 2014 causing over 60k to immigrate to what they have historically called Mother Russia.
Are the Russians good guys on a world wide basis?Hardly.Do they constantly try and intimidate our military with close calls with their military jets and use lazers to blind our pilots and many other little goodies they do.Of course. They are commies who use capitalism to get by,sound familiar? So is the Ukraine one of the most complex/corrupt nations in the world? Should we stay the hell out at all costs? Yes and yes.