comment: >
  
  There are a couple very big reasons why Putin and the Kremlin do this.  
  Firstly so Putin can point to other countries problems and say western democracy is just as corrupt, if not more so, than Russian Sovereign democracy. If that is perceived to be true then the Russian public won't bother wanting true democracy.  
  The second big purpose is to cause the affected countries to turn their attention inwards. That leaves Putin and the Kremlin to do whatever they please while others aren't paying attention.  
  The ultimate goal though is simply for Putin to live. To continue living he needs to remain in power. For that to remain so he believes he needs to stop people wanting and trying to bring about democracy.  
  The ultra paranoid KGB brain in Putin believes that America and the CIA are always plotting to overthrow him. He sees democracy and NATO as weapons used by America and the CIA to topple him. He's deadly afraid of being toppled as has happened by other dictators.  
  So all this is basically his way of staying alive.
context: Russia has been doing shit like this for years now, and should remind everyone that Putin already declared war on the West.  
  He’s just furious that we finally woke up and started retaliating.  And that his military sucks borscht. >
  
  They started their hybrid war against the west a decade ago. By the time of Brexit they had years of practice eg in Eastern Europe and of course Ukraine and Russia itself. >
  
  Not even remotely surprised. Rootin' Tootin' Pootin is the puppetmaster, after all.