If you're wondering what Russia is doing in Ukraine and beyond, a January 2013 speech by the head of Russia's General Staff provides a good explanation. It's fighting a multi-modal war against the West because Russia's leadership is convinced the West is also waging one against Russia.

Army Gen. Valery Gerasimov, who distinguished himself in Moscow's second war against Chechen separatists and who has headed the General Staff since 2012, delivered the speech to a general meeting of the Academy of Military Sciences — the biggest gathering of Russian military strategists and historians. "In the 21st century there is a tendency to erase the differences between the states of war and peace," he said. "Wars are no longer declared, and once they start, they do not follow the customary mold." Then he elaborated:

The emphasis in the confrontation methods employed is shifting toward the broad use of political, economic, information, humanitarian and other nonmilitary measures, taken along with the use of the population's protest potential. All that is supplemented with covert military measures, such as information warfare activities and the actions of special operations forces. The open use of force, often under the guise of peacekeeping and crisis resolution, only occurs at a certain stage, mainly to achieve ultimate success in a conflict.