I've heard it too, but I don't think Putin was important, if he was involved.
There's a strong internal argument for voters having control of their own government - known as democracy! Britain has an old parliament, a sensible raft of laws, a functional constitutional monarchy. A lot of British people know this and like this about the country. It's a system which has stood the tests of time.
The EU is hardly democratic at all. There's a parliament, but it has few powers. It's really a bloody great bureaucratic organism, with direction provided by the French and the Germans. Who knows if such a body will last? It was certainly insensitive to British wants.
British scepticism about the EU was present back when Margaret Thatcher was PM. So long before Putin came to power. Some said back then that maybe a majority of the people weren't enthusiastic members of the EU, as we were misled about its aims from the beginning. It was sold as more of an economic treaty creating a common market, but then it turned out to have federal objectives.
The governments have avoided letting people make their opinion known for years and years. So it was a huge relief that people were finally allowed to express themselves.
It turned out the remainers and leavers were nearly evenly balanced. But the leavers won.
I am not sure how Putin is meant to have had an impact. It's not like remaining in the EU is obviously the sensible option for the British, or that an EU with no Britain in it is going to be good for Russia. I know Remainers like to think they are the smart ones. But plenty of smart people support Brexit. It's not like the Trump situation where the GOP is trying to repeal laws of nature and economics. These are question for the British people to make judgements for themselves.
The EU actually interfered far more aggressively in Brexit. And caused resentment by doing so. Obama also briefly interfered and many in the UK dislike him for it. So Putin wasn't alone.
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