Possible Russian strategies.
Of course there is NO finger pointing at Fancy Bear, the FSB, et al so far in this hack. AFAIK, responsibility is still unknown, at least to the public.
But my understanding is that Russia, in particular, wishes to show that Western democracy is a sham and a lie. Putin would like the world to believe that the US government, in particular, is more corrupt than the Russian oligarchy which he leads. Not to mention the military value of strategically disrupting NATO.*
With that in mind, it makes sense for the Russians to now hack-and-leak damaging information about the RNC. Because Putin is not concerned with delegitimizing a particular party but with US government in general, it makes sense for him to now turn to the Republicans. In the words of Roger Stone, it will soon be the RNC's time in the barrel.
Or, put another way, once once you punch your opponent on the left side of the head, then you hit him on the right.
If Fancy Bear et al were not responsible for the hack, then I'll bet the FSB is already trying to buy the information from whomever has it.
* UNDERMINING DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND SPLINTERING NATO: RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION AIMS, US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 9, 2017. (PDF)
More readable: Trump, Putin, and the New Cold War, The New Yorker. (Paywalled if you view more than three articles.)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
