Are You a Russian Area?

Before the war, would people in ucryine that were predominantly russian speaking have considered themselves to be russian or ukranian? No, they are ucranian, actually, i know that. But i do chack it with people when i eak to them, and they advantly cranian. And i guess it's part of putin's narrative to suggest that these are inadverted comers, really russian areas. Although, of course, he claims that all of you crying is a russian area.