I agree
I think they just covered their ass and have good deniability, but chose a method that pretty much hammers out in gold plate that they're the culprits. The only question is who made the decision and ran the operation, and how much of that operation was carried out by unassociated paid 'contractors'. It might just be the pet project of someone high up in the new KGB (whatever its called nowadays), and not go all the way to putin.
DL
