Yeah, it’s impossible to deny that a lot of Russians died fighting the Nazis — within a few years after the Russians made a treaty with the Germans so the Germans could face the West without having to worry about the eastern front. The Russians were delighted to leave the West for dead - and to get half of Poland into the bargain. They only fought the Nazis because the Nazis, thank God, thought they could fight the east and the west at the same time.
If the Germans had waited to invade Russia until after they’d defeated the West, the Russians would have had only themselves to blame.
They did no-one, including themselves, any favors.
Because Stalin wanted a lot of Russians to die fighting the Nazis, help to reduce the "surplus" population.