With a fake call, comedians close to the Kremlin elicited explosive statements about Crimea and the war from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (41). “If you ask me who blows something up in Crimea or in Belgorod, I’ll tell you privately, yes, we were,” Kuleba said in the appeal, which was widely reported in Russian media on Friday.
The Russian caller, on the other hand, posed as former US ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul. The mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, was fooled with a similar trick in June.
In Russia, Ukraine is blamed for the explosion at the Crimean Bridge. Kiev has not officially recognized this. In Moscow, however, Kuleba’s statement should also be seen as an admission of guilt for the damage to the bridge. At the same time, Kuleba also said the counter-offensive in southern Ukraine was conducted in close cooperation with the United States. Russia accuses NATO of being a war party in Ukraine.
Russian comedians known for fake calls
The fake call was organized by the same comedic couple who earlier this summer led several mayors in EU capitals to believe they were talking to Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko. Berlin mayor Franziska Giffey was one of the victims of the prank.
Alexei Stolyarov and Vladimir Kuznetsov, also known as “Vovan and Lexus”, have been known in Russia for years for deceiving politicians and other international celebrities with fake phone calls. Some time ago, according to ARD information, they admitted in a “Contrasts” interview that they were working for an internet platform owned by the Russian state-owned company Gazprom. (SDA)