Those regions were pro-separatists since the war started in 2014. All of this would have been avoided if Ukraine was less genocidal towards the ethnic Russian population, but no. They had to poke the bear and posture towards nato membership.
From a realist perspective Russia did not have a choice in this. It WAS provoked entirely by the ukraine and the western instigators who encouraged it and the coup.
Those regions were pro-separatists since the war started in 2014. All of this would have been avoided if Ukraine was less genocidal towards the ethnic Russian population, but no. They had to poke the bear and posture towards nato membership.
From a realist perspective Russia did not have a choice in this. It WAS provoked entirely by the ukraine and the western instigators who encouraged it and the coup.