Disclaimer: I live in Russia and what is told about Russia here on HN slowly kills me with its striking primitivism.
I think a lot of "Russian influence campaign" suspicions held by people are just because they cannot fathom the other side being genuine. Helped by the fact that Russia does, in fact, run the occasional influence campaign in the US.
It is clear that they have been attempting to influence elections. In the US but also in other places, like Austria. It seems unlikely they stick to elections.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-pfizer-covid-disinformation-s...
I can believe it! I do judo with a Russian and it's interesting the difference between how others talk about Russia and knowing even a single actual Russian. I should be clearer that I'm describing the Russian government, not actual Russians, my apologies.
As to the point - the only explanation offered that really makes sense to me is that it's an extension of the arguments that a number of governments are having around the various vaccines. The Russian government is in conflict with e.g. Brazil around the Sputnik vaccine. The Chinese government has been suggesting it will only allow travel to China from people who have been vaccinated with a Chinese-developed vaccine, not any others. And, of course, there is the ongoing argument over the patent status of a number of the European and US vaccines.
No problem, I don't take this personally :) Sometimes I just can't help diving into political argument despite outcome in most cases is disappoining and HN is not inteded for such discussions in the first place.
As for vaccines, in most cases it is pretty clear why something happens and motives are obvious. Spreading lies about competitors vaccine is definitely a dirty play but at least understandable tactic. Using toursts as a trade war weapon puzzles me a bit but still can probably be useful to improve negitiation position or whatever. But antivaccination propaganda has just rung a bell - it doesn't pass qui bono test. Antivaccination groups in any country are a minority (AFAIK) and it is hard to use them to "divide and conquer". IMO this kind of campaign most likely has been initiated by some antivaccination activists.