I suspect that all Russia really wants is what they've always wanted... a warm water port. Anything else is just macho posturing. They want Ukraine because they want the Crimea. They want the Crimea because they want Sevastapol. But give it a few more years of global warming, and they should have plenty of warm water ports.
They've had Crimea for 8 years, unless you're saying this latest escalation is intended to force the West to compromise and recognize the occupation.