There are multiple actors in play. The Russians are punching above their weight these days. If you'd like to read about how they're so successful (based on re

There are multiple actors in play. The Russians are punching above their weight these days. If you'd like to read about how they're so successful (based on real-world case studies) consider reading the executive of "The Kremlin Playbook", from CSIS in Washington DC: https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publication/1601017_Conley_KremlinPlaybook_Web.pdf https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publi... tl;dr (from page ix): Our work has determined that Russia has cultivated an opaque network of patronage across the region that it uses to influence and direct decision-making. This web resembles a network-flow model, which we describe as an "unvirtuous circle" of Russian influence. The circuitous flow can either begin with Russian political or economic penetration and from there expand and evolve, in some instances leading to "state capture." Russia seeks to gain influence over (if not control of) critical state institutions, bodies, and the economy and uses this influence to shape national policies and decisions. Corruption is the lubricant on which this system operates, concentrating on the exploitation of state resources to further Russia's networks of influence. Other tactics (usually in earlier phases of the plan) involve getting control over portions of the media, or (failing that) undermining news outlets' credibility. This conditions the population to put up with the stuff mentioned in the text I quoted. "Well, they're all corrupt, so it's not surprising that (insert any recent federal scandal here)."