A thing the psyche does is make people willing to accept any information that supports their views without questioning where it came from, while at the same time dismissing any piece of information that contradicts it, also without having the mental fortitude to check. It's easier to hide and feel strong in a crows than to stand alone with your views. That's why the artificial echo chambers in social media, that all the censorship created, are so effective.
I did some light digging with the information you provided. The source is not an "independent researched", but a member of a Washington based think tank "The Woodrow Wilson Center". Literally everything he wrote in the past years was slandering Russia. Where did you think the gigantic budget of the CIA went?
The proof you provided is a telegram screenshot. You want me to make one that reads "Russian troops offering lollipops to Ukranian POWs"? Should take the average ycombinator reader minutes to whip up such a picture. You should know better.