Vovan and Lexus
{{Short description|Russian comedy duo}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kuznetsov
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|11|11}}
| birth_place = Novorossiysk, Russia
}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Aleksei Vladimirovich Stolyarov
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|9|16}}
| birth_place = Yekaterinburg, Russia
}}
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kuznetsov ({{langx|ru|Владимир Александрович Кузнецов}}, or Krasnov, nicknamed Vovan222, born 11 November 1986){{cite web |title=KUZNETSOV Vladimir Aleksandrovich - biography, dossier, assets {{pipe}} War and sanctions |url=https://sanctions.nazk.gov.ua/en/sanction-person/2224/ |publisher=National Agency on Corruption Prevention |access-date=3 October 2023}} and Aleksei Vladimirovich Stolyarov (born 16 September 1987),{{cite web |title=STOLYAROV Aleksei Vladimirovich - biography, dossier, assets {{pipe}} War and sanctions |url=https://sanctions.nazk.gov.ua/en/sanction-person/2206/ |publisher=National Agency on Corruption Prevention |access-date=3 October 2023}} jointly known as Vovan and Lexus ({{langx|ru|Вован и Лексус|Vovan i Leksus}}), are Russian comedians noted for their prank telephone calls to prominent individuals.
The duo often prank those who are critical of the Russian government or Russian foreign policy, particularly non-Russians; they have been called state actors for the Russian government or the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's principal security agency, a claim the comedians deny.
Background
=Vovan=
File:2019 Vladimir Churov.jpg.]]
Vovan came to public attention in late 2011, when after that year's controversial parliamentary elections in Russia, he telephoned the chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov, introducing himself as Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and almost convinced Churov that President Dmitry Medvedev intended to fire him. In June 2012, he phoned Vitaly Mutko, the Russian Minister of Sports, and persuaded him to apologise for the drunken behaviour of athletes.{{cite news |last1=Luhn |first1=Alec |title=Russian pranksters say they fooled Elton John with Putin call |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/16/russian-pranksters-say-they-fooled-elton-john-with-putin-call |access-date=25 March 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=16 September 2015 |archive-date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325155643/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/16/russian-pranksters-say-they-fooled-elton-john-with-putin-call |url-status=live }}
=Comedy duo formation=
In 2014, Vovan and Lexus began to work together.{{cite news |last1=Litvinova |first1=Daria |title=Happy to Be a Weapon: Russian Prank-Callers Target Kremlin Opponents |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2016/03/15/happy-to-be-a-weapon-russian-prank-callers-target-kremlin-opponents-a52163 |access-date=24 March 2022 |work=The Moscow Times |date=15 March 2016 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324131930/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2016/03/15/happy-to-be-a-weapon-russian-prank-callers-target-kremlin-opponents-a52163 |url-status=live }} They telephoned President of Moldova Nicolae Timofti, posing as Georgian politician Mikheil Saakashvili, and spoke with General Kevin McNeely in the United States, to whom Vovan introduced himself as the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov. McNeely disclosed to the pranksters information about the supply of U.S. military aid to Ukraine during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.{{cite news |title='If you're sliding into totalitarianism, you might as well do it glamorously': Russia's two most famous pranksters explain themselves |url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2016/03/31/if-you-re-sliding-into-totalitarianism-you-might-as-well-do-it-glamorously |access-date=24 March 2022 |work=Meduza |date=31 March 2016 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324124517/https://meduza.io/en/feature/2016/03/31/if-you-re-sliding-into-totalitarianism-you-might-as-well-do-it-glamorously |url-status=live }}
=Elton John prank=
File:Glasto2023 (419 of 468) (53009098414) (cropped).jpg was subject to one of their pranks. As a result, Russian president Vladimir Putin apologised to John.]]
In September 2015, Vovan and Lexus played a telephone prank on the British musician Elton John; Vovan impersonated Russian president Vladimir Putin and Lexus pretended to be his translator. They claimed to be discussing the rights of gay people in Russia.{{efn|Gay rights in Russia had been under increased scrutiny from John and many in the West since an anti-gay-propaganda law had been passed by the State Duma in 2013. In defending the law in the lead-up to the Sochi Olympics in 2014, Putin cited the Russian public's support of Elton John – who is gay – and his music to dispute the notion Russia is homophobic.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mark |last2=Michaels |first2=Sean |title=Elton John to Putin: I will show you gay people victimised under Russian law |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/23/elton-john-vladimir-putin-russian-gay-legislation |work=The Guardian |date=23 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807045908/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/23/elton-john-vladimir-putin-russian-gay-legislation |archive-date=7 August 2016}} John responded by offering to introduce Putin to Russians he said were victimised and abused under the legislation. John had previously expressed an interest in talking to Putin on the issue but thought the possibility of such was unlikely.{{cite magazine |last1=Plucinska |first1=Joanna |title=Russian Comedians Say They Prank-Called Elton John |url=https://time.com/4037897/elton-john-vladimir-putin-prank-call/ |access-date=25 March 2022 |magazine=Time |date=17 September 2015 |archive-date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325160412/https://time.com/4037897/elton-john-vladimir-putin-prank-call/ |url-status=live }}}} Erroneously believing the call to be genuine, John, on Instagram, made a post congratulating Putin for having contacted John to discuss the issue. Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov denied the conversation took place, and Putin telephoned Elton John apologising for the prank and describing the pranksters as "harmless".{{cite news |title=Путин позвонил Элтону Джону |trans-title=Putin called Elton John |url=http://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2015/09/24/n_7630271.shtml |access-date=28 March 2022 |work=Gazeta.ru |date=24 September 2015 |language=ru |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120111105/https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2015/09/24/n_7630271.shtml |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Элтон Джон прокомментировал розыгрыш пранкеров со "звонком Путина" |trans-title=Elton John comments on prankster's prank call on Putin |url=http://top.rbc.ru/society/17/09/2015/55fab80f9a7947a25749708d |work=RBC.ru |date=17 September 2015 |language=ru |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920015159/http://top.rbc.ru/society/17/09/2015/55fab80f9a7947a25749708d |archive-date=20 September 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Kishkovsky |first1=Sophia |title=Vladimir Putin Calls Elton John, This Time for Real |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/world/europe/vladimir-putin-calls-elton-john-this-time-for-real.html |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=24 September 2015 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329112852/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/world/europe/vladimir-putin-calls-elton-john-this-time-for-real.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Hanna |first1=Jason |title=Putin calls Elton John after prank |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/24/europe/russia-putin-elton-john/index.html |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=CNN |date=25 September 2015 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329111037/https://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/24/europe/russia-putin-elton-john/index.html |url-status=live }}
=Other prominent individuals=
By 2015, Vovan and Lexus had pranked many prominent people, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, U.S. statesman John McCain, Soviet dissident Valeriya Novodvorskaya, Russian politician Vladimir Medinsky, Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko, viral Russian politician Natalia Poklonskaya, Russian ballerina Anastasia Volochkova, Russian footballer Aleksei Panin, and Russian politician Vitaly Milonov.{{cite news |last1=Ivanov |first1=Alexsei |title=Пранкер Вован на Baltkom: Элтон Джон не усомнился в том, что я - Путин (АУДИО)|trans-title=Prankster Vovan on Baltkom: Elton John didn't doubt that I was Putin (AUDIO) |url=https://mixnews.lv/exclusive/2015/09/16/pranker-vovan-na-baltkom-elton-dzhon-ne-usomnilsya-v-tom-4to-ya-putin-audio/ |access-date=28 March 2022 |work=Mixnews |date=16 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919025135/http://www.mixnews.lv/ru/exclusive/news/2015-09-16/184720 |archive-date=19 September 2015 |language=ru-RU |quote=Я не пародист, как и мой коллега. Все было рассчитано на эффект неожиданности|trans-quote= I am not an impersonator and neither is my colleague. Everything was designed for the effect of surprise}}
In February 2016, Vovan and Lexus pranked President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; they introduced themselves as Ukrainian politicians Petro Poroshenko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk.{{Cite news|accessdate = 2016-02-12|title = #АллоЭрдоган: турецкий президент поговорил по телефону с фальшивым Порошенко |trans-title=#AlloErdogan: Turkish president spoke to fake Poroshenko on phone|url = http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/1604999/|work = NTV}} Since April 2016, Vovan was co-host of weekly television prank show Zvonok ("[the] Call") on the Russian channel NTV. He co-presented the show with Lexus and Mikhail Gendelev.{{cite web |title=Пранк-шоу "Звонок"|trans-title=Prank show '[the] Call' |url=https://www.ntv.ru/peredacha/zvonok |website=NTV |access-date=29 March 2022 |language=ru}} In July 2019, Vovan and Lexus called President of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev and they introduced themselves as Poroshenko.{{cite news |title=Russian comedy duo pranks North Macedonia PM |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190709-russian-comedy-duo-pranks-north-macedonia-pm |access-date=24 March 2022 |work=France 24 |date=9 July 2019 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324133907/https://www.france24.com/en/20190709-russian-comedy-duo-pranks-north-macedonia-pm |url-status=live }}
In early 2018, they pranked U.S. Representative Adam Schiff. Posing as the head of the Ukrainian parliament Andriy Parubiy, they said he had compromising nude photographs of U.S. President Donald Trump after a claim Trump visited Moscow in November 2013 and was provided an escort with Russian singer and model Olga Buzova at the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. Vovan and Lexus also said Buzova met with Trump in New York sometime later, where a supposed affair took place. Afterwards, Schiff was convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin was made aware of the photographs by the duo, who said Ksenia Sobchak provided Buzova with an escort to Trump and that Sobchak was Putin's god-daughter, that Vovan and Lexus had secretly visited Ukraine, and that the Ukrainian government had access to the materials. The duo said Putin had a mediator, Russian singer Arkady Ukupnik, who met ex-advisor of President Trump Michael Flynn on Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and used a secret password, "Weather is good on Deribasovskaya" – the name of a Russian-American film – and that Ukupnik told Flynn the compromising photographs would not be released if Trump would cancel all sanctions against Russia.{{cite news |last1=Ioffe |first1=Julia |title=What Putin Really Wants |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/putins-game/546548/ |access-date=21 April 2022 |work=The Atlantic |date=11 December 2017 |archive-date=17 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417115914/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/putins-game/546548/ |url-status=live }}
In 2019, during the Venezuelan presidential crisis, they pranked Speaker of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, and self-proclaimed interim president of the country, introducing themselves as Ueli Maurer, President of the Swiss Confederation. They told Guaidó that Nicolás Maduro had accounts in a fictitious Swiss bank and asked him to provide Swiss authorities with a legal request to freeze Maduro's assets.{{Cite news |last=Aqeel |first=Inaya |date=14 March 2019 |title=Guaido Asked Pranksters Imitating Swiss President To Block Maduro's Assets In Made-Up Bank |url=https://www.pakistanpoint.com/en/story/570825/guaido-asked-pranksters-imitating-swiss-president-to-bl.html}} Vovan and Lexus also called U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams, who dismissed the possibility of military action by the U.S. in the country during the call.{{Cite web |title=Trump's envoy for Venezuela dismissed US military action there during a Russian prank call |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/us-envoy-dismisses-military-force-in-venezuela-in-prank-call-2019-3 |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}
File:Greta Thunberg in Stckholm (cropped 2).jpg numerous times.]]
In 2020, Vovan and Lexus made two telephone calls to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and introduced themselves as Greta Thunberg and her father.{{cite news |title=Prince Harry "duped by Greta Thunberg call" Russian pranksters say |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51831374 |work=BBC News |date=11 March 2020 |access-date=24 March 2022 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324133929/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51831374 |url-status=live }} They also impersonated the Thunbergs in calls to Maxine Waters, an American politician{{cite news |last1=Helmore |first1=Edward |title=Democrat fooled by Russian prankster posing as Greta Thunberg in phone call |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/05/maxine-waters-russian-prank-greta-thunberg |access-date=25 March 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=16 July 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200716215459/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/05/maxine-waters-russian-prank-greta-thunberg |url-status=live }} and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Impersonating Thunberg and her father, Vovan and Lexus also mentioned the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 and urged Canada to leave NATO.{{cite news |title='Hello Greta!': Justin Trudeau "fields call from pranksters" |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55062943 |access-date=24 March 2022 |work=BBC News |date=24 November 2020 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324215017/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55062943 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Helen |title='Leave Nato': Justin Trudeau pranked by Russian duo posing as Greta Thunberg |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/25/leave-nato-justin-trudeau-pranked-by-russian-duo-posing-as-greta-thunberg |work=The Guardian |date=25 November 2020 |access-date=24 March 2022 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324215018/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/25/leave-nato-justin-trudeau-pranked-by-russian-duo-posing-as-greta-thunberg |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Russian Phone Pranksters Dupe Trudeau as "Greta Thunberg" |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/11/25/russian-phone-pranksters-dupe-trudeau-as-greta-thunberg-a72147 |access-date=24 March 2022 |work=The Moscow Times |date=25 November 2020 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324215017/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/11/25/russian-phone-pranksters-dupe-trudeau-as-greta-thunberg-a72147 |url-status=live }}
Posing as Thunberg during the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries in the U.S., Vovan and Lexus pranked Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.{{cite news |last1=Titova |first1=Tanya |last2=Litvinova |first2=Daria |title=Bernie Sanders pranked by Russians posing as Greta Thunberg |url=https://apnews.com/article/politics-bernie-sanders-campaigns-election-2020-hip-hop-and-rap-a8a1b87654a382b8a9c53090ee6d3e9f |access-date=21 April 2022 |work=Associated Press News |date=1 May 2021 |archive-date=21 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421130604/https://apnews.com/article/politics-bernie-sanders-campaigns-election-2020-hip-hop-and-rap-a8a1b87654a382b8a9c53090ee6d3e9f |url-status=live }} In January 2020 the duo also pranked presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris, who later became the Vice presidential nominee for Joe Biden. The duo posing as Greta and her father claimed that they had a secret recording of a secret encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump at the September 2019 United Nations meeting they claimed that Trump told Greta “You will never achieve your goal” and they claimed that they were in Canada and would be returning to the US soon and that they should arrange a meeting to provide copies of the recording to help Kamala in her campaign. The duo also pranked singer Billie Eilish and actor Joaquin Phoenix.{{cite news |last1=Ling |first1=Justin |title=Russian Pranksters Duped Canadian Politicians Looking to Hear From Putin Critic |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/russian-pranksters-duped-canadian-politicians-looking-to-hear-from-putin-critic/ |access-date=21 April 2022 |work=Vice News |date=4 May 2021 |location=Montreal, CA |quote='It is unlikely that the stories with Greta Thunberg were of interest to the Kremlin, as well as pranks with Billie Eilish and Joaquin Phoenix :),' he said. |archive-date=21 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421130605/https://www.vice.com/en/article/qj88bq/russian-pranksters-duped-canadian-politicians-looking-to-hear-from-putin-critic |url-status=live }} In April 2021, Vovan and Lexus approached politicians in a number of European countries by impersonating Leonid Volkov, a Russian opposition politician and chief of staff of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's campaign. It was reported they used deepfake technology to impersonate Volkov.{{cite news |last1=Roth |first1=Andrew |title=European MPs targeted by deepfake video calls imitating Russian opposition |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/22/european-mps-targeted-by-deepfake-video-calls-imitating-russian-opposition |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=22 April 2021 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329113114/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/22/european-mps-targeted-by-deepfake-video-calls-imitating-russian-opposition |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Ivanov |first1=Maxim |last2=Rothrock |first2=Kevin |title=Hello, this is Leonid Volkov* Using deepfake video and posing as Navalny's right-hand man, Russian pranksters fool Latvian politicians and journalists into invitation and TV interview |url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/04/22/hello-this-is-leonid-volkov |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=Meduza |date=22 April 2021 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329113114/https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/04/22/hello-this-is-leonid-volkov |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title='Deepfake' Navalny Aide Targets European Lawmakers |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/04/23/deepfake-navalny-aide-targets-european-lawmakers-a73717 |access-date=29 March 2022 |work=The Moscow Times |date=23 April 2021 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329152654/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/04/23/deepfake-navalny-aide-targets-european-lawmakers-a73717 |url-status=live }} They told The Verge they had used a look-alike rather than deepfakes.{{cite news |last1=Vincent |first1=James |title='Deepfake' that supposedly fooled European politicians was just a look-alike, say pranksters |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/30/22407264/deepfake-european-polticians-leonid-volkov-vovan-lexus |work=The Verge |date=30 April 2021 |access-date=29 March 2022 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329113114/https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/30/22407264/deepfake-european-polticians-leonid-volkov-vovan-lexus |url-status=live }}
In October 2020, Vovan and Lexus impersonated Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya the Belarusian opposition leader in a virtual video conference with Danish lawmakers.{{cite news |title=When virtual turns fake: Danish politicians "meet" Belarusian opposition figure |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-denmark-belarus-idUSKBN26T2V4 |access-date=28 March 2022 |work=Reuters |date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328190634/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-denmark-belarus-idUSKBN26T2V4 |url-status=live }} In July 2021, President of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Carl Gershman was the subject of a hoax by Vovan and Lexus, who convinced Gershman and other NED officials they were speaking to Tsikhanouskaya and an aide. Gersham said the NED "support[ed] many, many groups and we have a very, very active program throughout the country", and NED had contact with the chief aide to Alexei Navalny. The NED official in charge of its work in Belarus said the NED had helped inspire that year's protests against Lukashenko.{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/russian-pranksters-trick-us-officials-into-boasting-about-funding-protests-hbtwtvg6n |title=We fund Russian democracy protesters, boasts US group |last=Bennetts |first=Marc |newspaper=The Times |location=London |url-access=subscription |date=19 May 2021 |access-date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=18 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518125838/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russian-pranksters-trick-us-officials-into-boasting-about-funding-protests-hbtwtvg6n |url-status=live }}
In November 2022, on the night following the 2022 missile explosion in Poland, they pranked Polish President Andrzej Duda into thinking he was talking with Emmanuel Macron. Duda's office later stated that he realized he was speaking with an impersonator and ended the conversation.{{Cite news |date=2022-11-22 |title=Russian prankster impersonating Macron spoke to Poland's Duda after blast |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-prankster-impersonating-macron-spoke-polands-duda-after-blast-2022-11-22/ |access-date=2023-01-16}}
In June 2022, they pranked J. K. Rowling, making her believe she was on a Zoom call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussing the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-25 |title=JK Rowling Tricked into Chat with "Zelenskyy" by Russian Pranksters, Asked about Dumbledore |url=https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/jk-rowling-tricked-into-chat-with-zelenskyy-by-russian-pranksters-asked-about-dumbledore-5436559.html |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=News18 |language=en}}
In February 2023, they announced that they pranked Angela Merkel, pretending to be Petro Poroshenko. The full conversation has not been released.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-18 |title=Telegram announcement of prank call with Angela Merkel |url=https://t.me/Russiacalling/842?embed=1 |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=Vovan & Lexus official channel |language=ru}}
In March 2023 they pranked President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde while posing as Volodymyr Zelenskyy, conversing in English, inducing her to admit that the e-euro might be introduced in October in spite of some early protests and that "control" played a significant role in its planning.{{cite web |title="Zelensky" (Rus Pranksters) Call Christine Lagarde: She Admits Euro-Digital Currency Is For CONTROL"|url=https://www.bitchute.com/video/75fip5t1a66I |website=Bitchute |access-date=19 April 2023 |language=en}}
In November 2023 they pranked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni while posing as a senior African Union official, inducing her to admit that European leaders were tired of the war in Ukraine and want to broker a deal with the Kremlin, saying that "we need a way out".{{cite web |title=Giorgia Meloni says European leaders are 'tired of Ukraine war' in prank call|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/11/01/giorgia-meloni-european-leaders-tired-ukraine-war-prank/|website=The Telegraph|access-date=3 November 2023}} In March 2024, the International Olympic Committee announced that its president Thomas Bach was the victim of Russian prank calls "purporting to be from the African Union Commission appear to have been made by the very same group that has already attacked a number of global political leaders and other high-ranking personalities in the same way".{{cite news |title=Russian prank callers trick IOC president before Paris Olympics |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/paris-olympics-russian-prank-callers-trick-international-olympic-committee-president-thomas-bach/EOOME4DTJZB4FL7AFDVO6LLMXI/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=21 March 2024 |agency=Associated Press}} They discussed a ban on Russian athlete parades in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.{{cite news |title=International Olympic Committee says it was victim of Russian prank calls |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/international-olympic-committee-says-it-was-victim-russian-prank-calls-2024-03-21/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Reuters |date=21 March 2024}} One recording, which featured Bach saying that Russian athletes who had made statements supporting the Russian government would be excluded from the Olympic Games, was released in April 2024. This led Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to accuse Bach of "enter[ing] into a political-administrative and, apparently, criminal conspiracy with one specific party [Ukraine] to exclude strong sports competitors from international competitions".{{cite news |title=Russia accuses IOC chief of 'conspiracy' to exclude its athletes |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/russia-accuses-ioc-chief-conspiracy-exclude-its-athletes-2024-04-02/ |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=Reuters |date=2 April 2024}}
In February 2025 they called Johann Wadephul, a representative of the German Parliament and member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, pretending to be employees of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the 20 minute call, they talked about military support and the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles.{{cite news |title=CDU-Politiker Wadephul wird Opfer von russischem Fakeanruf |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/johan-wadephul-cdu-politiker-wird-opfer-von-russischem-fake-anruf-a-821aed70-85a8-4ece-b2fa-0f9012fbab88 |access-date=10 February 2025 |work=Der Spiegel |date=5 February 2025 |language=DE}}
Controversies
In December 2023, Vovan and Lexus called Boris Akunin and Dmitry Bykov, pretending to be representatives of the Ukrainian Government, and released the recordings of Akunin and Bykov expressing their support for Ukraine. The response in Russia was negative: many Russian publishing booksellers, including publishing company AST, ceased publication and distribution of Akunin's and Bykov's works. One of the few booksellers that continued to distribute Akunin's books, Zakharov Books, came under investigation by the Investigative Committee of Russia.{{cite news |title=Russian Bookstores, Publishing House Ban Books by Prominent Writers Over Anti-War Statements |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/12/15/russian-bookstores-publishing-house-ban-books-by-prominent-writers-over-anti-war-statements-a83440 |access-date=18 December 2023 |work=The Moscow Times |date=15 December 2023 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Борис Акунин и Дмитрий Быков в разговоре с прокремлевскими "пранкерами" заявили, что поддерживают Украину {{!}} Издательство АСТ прекратило выпускать их книги, а магазины — продавать. Акунин попрощался с читателями |trans-title=Boris Akunin and Dmitry Bykov declared in a conversation with pro-Kremlin prankers that they support Ukraine {{!}} The publisher AST ceased publication of their books, and stores no longer sell their books. Akunin said farewell to his readers |url=https://meduza.io/feature/2023/12/15/boris-akunin-i-dmitriy-bykov-v-razgovore-s-prokremlevskimi-prankerami-zayavili-chto-podderzhivayut-ukrainu |access-date=18 December 2023 |work=Meduza |language=ru}}{{cite news |title=Russian Investigative Committee agents search publishing house connected with writer Boris Akunin |url=https://meduza.io/en/news/2023/12/19/russian-investigative-committee-agents-search-publishing-house-connected-with-writer-boris-akunin |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=19 December 2023 |work=Meduza |language=en}} Russian politician Andrey Gurulyov (United Russia) called Akunin an "enemy" that "must be destroyed".{{cite news |title=Депутат Госдумы Андрей Гурулев заявил, что писатель Борис Акунин — "враг", который "должен быть уничтожен" |trans-title=Deputy of the State Duma Andrey Gurulyov declared, that the writer Boris Akunin is an "enemy" that "must be destroyed" |url=https://meduza.io/news/2023/12/15/deputat-gosdumy-andrey-gurulev-zayavil-chto-pisatel-boris-akunin-vrag-kotoryy-dolzhen-byt-unichtozhen |access-date=18 December 2023 |work=Meduza |date=14 December 2023 |language=ru}}
Meduza said of Vovan and Lexus; "for some reason, their spoofs always seem to serve the interests of Russia's authorities". Vovan and Lexus told the website they would never play pranks on Putin allies such as head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov or Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill.
File:Ben Wallace Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2022 (cropped).jpg was pranked by the duo in 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leading to Vovan and Lexus's channel being removed from YouTube.]]
As many of the people they prank are those critical of the Russian government or Russian foreign policy, particularly non-Russians, critics say that Kuznetsov and Stolyarov work for the Russian authorities or Russia's security service (the FSB), or are otherwise involved in the Kremlin's foreign political interference programmes.{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Shaun |title=Kremlin calling? Meet the Russian pranksters who say "Elton owes us" |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/13/kremlin-calling-russian-pranksters-elton-john-owes-us |access-date=25 March 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=13 March 2016 |archive-date=16 July 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200716225828/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/13/kremlin-calling-russian-pranksters-elton-john-owes-us |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Пранкер Вован заявил, что не работает на заказ |trans-title=Prankster Vovan says he does not work for hire |url=https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2015/09/21/n_7616993.shtml |access-date=25 March 2022 |work=Gazeta.ru |agency=RIA Novosti |date=15 September 2015 |language=ru |archive-date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325150950/https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2015/09/21/n_7616993.shtml |url-status=live }} The British government has repeated this claim.{{cite news |date=22 March 2022 |title=Ministers warned after "prank" video call with Ben Wallace emerges - as UK blames Russia for hoaxes |work=Sky News |url=https://news.sky.com/story/ministers-warned-after-prank-video-call-with-ben-wallace-emerges-as-uk-blames-russia-for-hoaxes-12572566 |access-date=24 March 2022 |archive-date=14 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614181222/https://news.sky.com/story/ministers-warned-after-prank-video-call-with-ben-wallace-emerges-as-uk-blames-russia-for-hoaxes-12572566 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Mason |first1=Rowena |date=21 March 2022 |title=Video released showing Russian hoax call with UK defence secretary |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/21/video-released-showing-russian-hoax-call-with-uk-defence-secretary |access-date=24 March 2022 |archive-date=14 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614181227/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/21/video-released-showing-russian-hoax-call-with-uk-defence-secretary |url-status=live }} The duo deny being state actors, and Vovan has stated that he is free as to whom he pranks and does not work for hire, but that friends sometimes suggest who they prank next. After the prank on Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Vovan said "For the mass media it is much more advantageous to say that the head of state was fooled not by two simple people, but that it was a very difficult intelligence operation in which a lot of money, time and resources were invested".{{Cite web |last=Spigno |first=Armando |date=2023-11-02 |title=Vovan e Lexus, i comici russi che hanno beffato Giorgia Meloni: "I servizi segreti russi? Ecco la verità" |url=https://tuttonotizie.eu/2023/11/02/vovan-e-lexus-i-comici-russi-che-hanno-beffato-giorgia-meloni-i-servizi-segreti-russi-ecco-la-verita/ |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=Tutto Notizie |language=it-IT}}
In Russia, some have called Vovan's pranks "telephone hooliganism".{{cite news |last1=Elena |first1=Milchanovska |title=Пранкер Вован назвал имя своей новой жертвы и рассказал о ее неожиданной реакции |trans-title=Prankster Vovan gives the name of his new victim and speaks about her unexpected reaction |url=https://sobesednik.ru/obshchestvo/20141008-pranker-vovan-nazval-imya-svoey-novoy-zhertvy-i-rasskazal-o |access-date=25 March 2022 |work=Sobesednik |date=8 October 2014 |archive-date=14 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614181225/https://sobesednik.ru/obshchestvo/20141008-pranker-vovan-nazval-imya-svoey-novoy-zhertvy-i-rasskazal-o |url-status=live }} After participating with them in a program on state television channel Zvezda, Russian journalist and television presenter Mikhail Kozhukhov called the duo "a disgrace to the profession to which I belong".{{cite news|last=Taroschina|first=Slava|url=https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/08/23/73559-kak-ih-lomayut-cherez-koleno|title=Как их ломают через колено. Если сургутской резни не было в телевизоре, ее не было нигде|trans-title=How they are being broken over their knees. If the Surgut massacre wasn't on TV, it wasn't anywhere|work=Novaya Gazeta|date=2017-08-23|language=ru|access-date=27 November 2020|archive-date=26 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826193151/https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/08/23/73559-kak-ih-lomayut-cherez-koleno|url-status=live}}
=YouTube ban and migration to Rutube=
In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, clipped footage of British defence secretary Ben Wallace in a prank call by Vovan and Lexus was released online. Vovan and Lexus impersonated Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal, saying Ukraine wished to promote its own nuclear deterrent to protect itself from Russia, a claim previously made by the Russian government. Vovan and Lexus also called British home secretary Priti Patel.{{cite news |date=22 March 2022 |title=Video clip of hoax call with UK minister Ben Wallace published |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60829542 |access-date=24 March 2022 |archive-date=14 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614181228/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60829542 |url-status=live }} After this prank, on 26 March 2022, YouTube banned Vovan and Lexus, and on 22 March that year, the British Ministry of Defence had called for YouTube to remove all videos of calls by Vovan and Lexus.{{cite news|url=https://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/national/20022889.youtube-removes-account-publishing-hoaxes-ministers-russia-links/|title=YouTube removes account publishing hoaxes of ministers over Russia links|newspaper=Malvern Gazette|agency=PA News Agency|access-date=26 March 2022|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327223621/https://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/national/20022889.youtube-removes-account-publishing-hoaxes-ministers-russia-links/|url-status=live}}{{Cite tweet |user=DefenceHQ |author=MoD |authorlink=Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) |number=1506618687629021194 |title=We are calling on YouTube to help us support Ukraine by taking down videos doctored by the Russian state and disseminated to try and sap the morale of a people fighting for their freedom 🇺🇦 👇 |date=23 March 2022}} Following the ban, the two prankers opened up{{Cite web|url=https://rutube.ru/channel/23610070/|title=Official Vovan and Lexus channels on Rutube.|language=ru|date=2021-08-17 |publisher=Rutube}} the channel on Rutube and continued publishing new content.
Notes
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References
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