Yes, to counter Israel and NATO. Remember the Kosovo war? NATO attacked the Chinese embassy in Belgrade “in error”? I don’t think Russians forgot that lesson either.
Russian investigative journalists and bloggers have uncovered an army of internet trolls paid to pour invective on the Kremlin’s opponents and heap praise on President Putin.
Posing as job applicants, the reporters discovered the government hacks working at a small company called the St Petersburg Internet Research Agency. ...”
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article3891720.ece