I figure it’s just typical Russian BS, just like the crap they used to spew during the Cold War. Let’s not forget that Comrade Putin there is a former Cold Warrior himself.
If he actually believes the fatuous nonsense he’s peddling, then he’s either surrounded by lickspittles who are telling him BS, or worse yet, he actually believes it, in which case he’s completely delusional.
What is in the least difficult to believe about this?
The "protesters" did appear to be amazingly well-organized, and they probably were trained somewhere by somebody. Or some of them, at least.
That Putin is a Bad Man doesn't mean everything he says is untrue.
A great deal of Hitler's justifications for his actions were true, just mixed with lies and intended to deceive.