Yes, but my other point is that they appropriate what is already there. You cannot deny that Ukraine was a major contributor to defeating fascism or very industrious or prosperous under the USSR. Not even the pro-west nationalists and fanboys. But they will try to spin it so that it was simply Ukrainians pulling themselves up by the bootstraps in spite of Russian repression instead of a team effort. You know, a union.

Destroying a statue of a mythological persona means completely denying their successful Soviet history which would be pathetic because their modern history is not better. Instead, you leave it to acknowledge your role, then appropriate it to change the narrative to fit your new image. “We were successful, but the ruskies held us down!” It’s essentially nationalist nostalgia and desire for when they mattered and had strength but discarding the ideology that got them that strength.