Sorry but disagree on this point. Provoked almost always means justified. It means, "I did something normally labeled as bad but I was justified because I was provoked by the actions of the target of my actions." In the case of the Russian war on Ukraine it clearly means Ukraine or other actors did things that justify partially or wholly Russia's violence. It doesn't make sense to totally condemn the invasion and at the same time and claim the invasion was provoked, you are trying to have your cake and eat it too. I understand but sometimes you have to make a choice and stand up for what you believe. At this point cities have been razed, thousands of soldiers on both sides killed, thousands of civilians, and now almost 1000 Ukrainian children have been killed. Exactly what provocations imagined or real could possibly justify their deaths?