Yep, the power of wishful thinking. And yet, we were the club who went to the J-League and brought him over, and trusted him enough to put into practice his studies of dribbling. Maybe it's a bit of wishful thinking and maybe a bit of pragmatism.
I think he's got a point.
I think it was John Sweeney who, early in the war, observed that Russia has effectively been at war with the west for over 20 years. He said it was just that the west hadn't noticed. Well, they have now !
There's a real possibility, or perhaps a likelihood, that they weren't told a) what their role would be and b) what life would be like on the front line meeting the Ukrainians.
Russian troops give their North Korean comrades a vote of confidence:
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/25/europe/russian-soldiers-north-korean-recruits-intercepts-intl/index.html
Sorry to hear that.
I have no idea of the correct answers to your questions.
But I would suggest it is worth paying for legal advice from a qualified employment law expert.