OK, this defensiveness has gone nuclear. I think we know why they are so defensive, because this fake news is making these Leftist elitists squirm.
News of currently unknown truth.
Russia has become such a subject of lively talk because it used to be regarded as lefty, but now has been regarded as righty due to friendly talk with Donald Trump.
When you have a country that might be double agents, it’s hard to know what really is true about it. What is in Russia’s self interest? Cui bono? A melange of things including a sense of its historic pride, something that the USA can’t really be blamed for having or understanding.
Anyhow, if it bleeds, it leads. This is still a good adage in the news biz even if the paper itself was swinging the knife. Something like this will definitely grab eyeballs. We got fog of war going on here. I think the NYT might be partly right.