DOES PUTIN READ THE NEWS?

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) holds an iPhone as his spokesman Dmitry Peskov (R) looks on prior to a bilateral meeting with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte at the APEC Leaders Summit on November 10,2017 in Da Nang, Vietnam. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Reports have said President Vladimir Putin expected Ukrainians to welcome the Russian invasion.

Experts said his miscalculations could be due to a starved media diet fed by his mounting isolation.

"Anyone who cared to look understood that Ukraine is an independent country," one expert said.

Amid Russia's ongoing, unprovoked war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has cracked down on ordinary Russians' ability to access independent news, verified information, and social media posts about the conflict. But experts say it appears the longtime Russian president is just as in the dark about the reality of the conflict as his own people.