There is a theory that precisely this is why Putin decided to try and take over Ukraine with most of the troops coming from piss poor regions of Russia. For Putin, it likely still is a win-win scenario: the fallen soldiers won't protest in their home regions and demand reforms, their families will worship them as heroes and even if the war fails in the end and only Crimea and Donbas get under Russian control [1], it will still have been worth the effort.

[1] Note that I wish for Russia to be completely driven out of Ukraine and to be treated as a warmonger like Germany was after 1945, this is unfortunately not realistic.