[meawaythrow]

  for the first time

I think the russian meddling stuff is largely a bs scapegoat and even I know the KGB was up to this stuff for the entire cold war. See the classic interview from KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov where he claims that the majority of KGB efforts were dedicated to "demoralization" not spying.

[not_kurt_godel]

Demoralization and destabilization are their goals with respect to meddling though. See my rather long reply to parent in this thread.