[pavlov]

But for what purpose/to what end?

Putin primarily wants to sow chaos in the American political class. It's not that he necessarily expected Trump to do his bidding -- the embarrassment and distraction created in Washington by a Trump presidency has been reward enough.

China and Russia have been telling their citizens for a decade that democracy is fickle and easily manipulated. With Trump, they have a textbook case in favor of their argument. Exposing Twitter fits in that narrative.