I take it that after the last four years of succesful desinformation and diversion of "the west" (easily to be followed in this very forum), Putin smells an easy victory.
Russia has been very strong in its propaganda efforts in the last years, launching a gigantic medial campaign on "social media" and its own state-controlled agencies.
The NATO manoeuver being held right now in the Ukraine "provoked" Russia? At least the russian "news agency" Sputnik sees it that way (snanews
is Sputnik=propaganda)
Translation by Google:
“Defender Europe 2021”: How NATO wages war “against nobody” with Ukraine and Georgia
https://www.army.mil/article/244260/..._dozen_nations