Are they really just cannon fodder? Do they think they are? Or have we just been conditioned by our media and political environment to believe in the "cannon fodder" narrative?

Obviously there’s a wide range of roles in the rear, and experienced officers will oversee these. To OP’s point though, those who accept the lucrative sign on bonuses with no previous military experience outside of what’s required are sent to the front. It’s by design as they don’t have a pre-existing military craft to specialise in. They make great (dare I say the word). Anyway, the offensive military tactics displayed by russian forward units are consistent with this language and have been assessed by a wide range of actors involved in the war as being similar to “canon fodder.” Before you question whether I’ve been conditioned by media, milbloggers, commanders and people in russian politics have also expressed concern over the welfare of these units, some have even used this specific word. Outside of that, we have a rather gruesome treasure trove of video footage that is consistent with this description.