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if Ukrainian nationalism has been hardened due to the strikes within Ukraine, then the same can be said for the Russian people

Arguably there is a difference. Ukraine had NATO-funded propaganda machine pissing in their ears with ethnonationalist propaganda for over twenty years (at least). On the other hand, Russia is multiethnic, which causes certain gripes to the ruling class, because they are forced to tone down ethnonationalist rhetoric at least sometimes. People from Russia, it seems, are more likely to reject their professed nationality - from various local nationalist movements to "I am ashamed to be Russian" campaign launched immediately after SMO began in 2022.

That said

but there is good reason for concern that they will amplify his claims that Russia is fighting NATO, not the Ukrainian people.

I am morbidly amused that the media is still trying to maintain this particular farce