[FPSPACE] Was Popovich really as flaky as this article suggests?

[Jim Davis]

The article at:

http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/110346-0/

paints a disturbing portrait of the late cosmonaut Pavel Popovich.

A few quotes:

"One of the tasks was to capture the American Skylab station with three 
astronauts aboard. The Americans had a special nickname for Popovich: 
“Aggressor”."

"In 2006, Pavel Popovich gave an interview to Bul’var Gordona, a 
Ukrainian magazine. (Issue 31[67]). He said that the inhabitants of 
Phaeton or Moonah (an ancient planet with advanced civilization, 
believed to exist next to Earth ages ago, but perished due to nuclear 
explosions) probably visit Earth from time to time."

Does this article fairly portray Popovich as a sort of Russian 
counterpart to Gordon Cooper?

Or is it just sensational tabloid type fodder that has been put in the 
mouth of a recently deceased public figure?

Thanks,

Jim Davis