This 'article' is taking a lot leeway from the following 11 words, "there is an argument that they may be a bit overstated." This whole thing reads like it belongs on OAN.
It's a bit like RT: Before the invasion, lots of naïve Westerners used to buy that drivel too; now only the most deluded conspiracy kooks do. It's just that secondary site metastases like this ZH aren't as obviously descredited, so all the "keeping an open mind to the extent my brains have fallen out" conspiracy-flirters, semi-kooks, and other morons keep sucking the propaganda teat.