Certainly the Soviet Union was expansionist, but many of its top functionaries were not from Russia. Stalin and Kaganovich, responsible for the Holodomor, were from Georgia and Ukraine.
Other leaders like Brezhnev were born in Ukraine or had ties to it. A Georgian woman alleges to be Putin's mother (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Putina) and looks quite similar on the Wikipedia photo.
Brezhnev considered himself Russian, as did Khrushchev.
Kaganovich's background is more complex, but that's splitting hairs.
What's more important is that, to a first order approximation -- the way the SU conducted itself geopolitically was as a continuation of the Russian empire. Including in particular the strategy of maintaining as many buffer / vassal states between itself and perceived competitors as possible. And as holiday resorts, etc.
Which is of course basically Putin's strategy, and his prime motivation for subjugating / neutralizing Ukraine as well.
Other leaders like Brezhnev were born in Ukraine or had ties to it. A Georgian woman alleges to be Putin's mother (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Putina) and looks quite similar on the Wikipedia photo.