Think about it
Why Ukraine has not fallen?
Why Russia uses open frequencies on their radio transmitters?
What is has to do anyway with NATO?
The key point is to show Ukraine is stronger than it looks due "triple propaganda" method. The key point is to show to Russians how West is dangerous and must be eliminated. But if using too much power and annihilating whole country, that would cause some havoc and chaos in their minds of Russian citizen. Why it is that? Why it was needed? Kreml knows exactly no one is threatening them, no one. It is impossible.
Ukraine has also been found natural gas at near of Donbass, it is same fashion to seek some minerals and materials for Russia. It goes into same category as what Kreml wants, A Soviet Union. But it can't go by full strength, people would not accept it. Too much using "limiter cut" powers would put whole world into chaos and everyone by then knows it will be the end of the world.
Their main goal is to use ever so little power, but enough anyway to make goals to be accomplished. I am quite sure Kreml knew already what kind of resistance there will be. Therefore they fooled Military people to sign some kind of "contract" which isn't even valid, so they are not to be called as conscripts, but rather regular soldiers. They use those as cannon fodder, to make propaganda for their own people.
Radio Transmitters is just an act for another propaganda, but seems like that didn't go as planned at all. Ukraine resist fiercely, more than they expected, but Kreml expected to go this way.
Also, killing civilians is also another propaganda, it is set trap for counter propaganda, which seems they are going to win this one. Easy to blame others in order to getting blame towards them.
Have to remember though, that Ukraine after Soviet Union was never really settled completely. Kreml used tactical loophole to keep Ukraine in their sights. Always have used and still using, this time physically.
But ultimately, the conflict... well, war, is going to fail them, and Ukraine will stand victorious, but I think that is beside the point apart from conquest set with new gas fields recently found on.
But, what they didn't expect really was the West and China... Europe went more solid than ever and China isn't actually helping them as they wanted. They wanted more assist, so they don't need to use full power...
Another failure by Kreml is these oligarchs. Resources are running soon very, very low, and time is ticking for Leader of the Kreml. Even so, that may also be beside the point.
And finally, not everyone wanted to invade Ukraine, that also failed. It was not secured at all in reason or another. Maybe this is because someone else is also pulling strings? Why so sudden propaganda efforts inside Kreml?
It is just a game for them. A game, where thousands and thousands of lives, even millions and beyond, are taken without a sight of any mercy. They would had killed whole Ukraine completely, but as mentioned, that would had gone too much overpower and that would had change things ocmpletely out of control. Chance is that they may have gone too far.
In our minds and thoughts outside of Russia, they have gone way way way too far, but the key point is more inside Russia.
Why to put Nuclear Weapons on ready mode and all of sudden then mentioning that they would never use on this conflict? Another propaganda.
There is just so many hot stuff going on in every aspects that it even varies day by day, but that is also the key point, to have space to move on with this whole area, without getting jammed in case something goes seriously wrong.
Perhaps it has gone wrong already, but now question is how much time is left?
Issue was never with NATO, just a root propaganda from earlier years because Soviet Union did stand on this. Easy to follow this path and just go on.
EDIT: However, if the thing isn't like this after all, then it is completely opposite and Russia could be invaded like slaying a bug, excluding Nuclear Weapons.