Bret Devereaux had an interesting analysis of this effect[0], mostly in relation to Hezbollah (but also pertaining to the other Israel-oppositional militant groups in the region): They have to walk a balance of looking like they are involving themselves (to keep their supporters happy) but not committing themselves (so that they don't get directly targeted by a very well-funded opponent). They very much want to be the chicken in the ham-and-egg sandwich.
To the direct point, hitting a city from 1000 miles away would demand quite a lot of precision (to be clear, this article at least doesn't say they were on target, but even hitting Israeli territory from Yemen is on par with hitting New Jersey from Cuba). On the other hand, Russia is targeting specific installations and infrastructure, which is an entirely different feat.
[0] https://acoup.blog/2023/10/27/fireside-friday-october-27-202...