I don't think they care, Russia is no longer communist.
To explain what I mean. I noticed that while term "tankies" is accepted as a term to refer to communists (particularly communists that would defend use of tanks on civilians), today's tankies are also defending Russia which isn't communist anymore (it's more fascist than anything). Even those on lemmygrad. It feels like it never was about communism, but it always was about totalitarianism and Soviets.
I struggle to understand lemmygrad. They advertise the instance as Marxist, but like you said they are reflexively pro-Russia and call you a western pig if you try to point out that Russia is also capitalist and not even remotely Marxist
They are so caught up with hating the west that they don't see that both Russia and the US is expantionist, imperialist, capitalist pseudo-democracies. I can see how western mainstream media is filled with propaganda to win the support of their imperialist ways, but I can't for the life of me see why Russian media wouldn't also be that.
Sure, the war in Ukraine could be about protecting Donbas from the eveils of capitalism, but how is bringing them under Russian influence going to do that?
Tankies is used as shorthand for Marxist Leninists. As far as I know nothing about that ideology supports the use of tanks on civilians. Am I missing something here?