A. Russia is a propaganda state, its government manipulates the people with misinformation in a variety of ways. Therefore, I care very little what the the Russian Goverment may or may not be telling it's people, because it is almost definitely lies.
B. Russian leaders know it would severely lose even a nuclear war with the US, and are very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very unlikely to start one.
C. I would welcome a nuclear holocaust. It might be a nice change of pace.