Load Toad. That certainly is true. However the western world is filled with conspiracy theorists, EU-haters, anti-immigration groups, left wing and right wing nuts etc groups who grab this type of news, eat it whole and then spread it as god's gospel in every conceivable media to advance their own political agenda. For these groups RT and Putin's ah so democratic Russia provide an "Alternative" to our western ways.
There are thus a lot of people who believe this fabrication without any critique or analysis. Then again there's the Chupacabras, big foot and Santa.