Two Russian comedians Vladimir “Vovan” Kuznetsov and Alexej “Lexus” Stolyarov, who have claimed responsibility for the fake video links to European mayors, say they work for an internet platform owned by the Russian state-owned company Gazprom. The mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) had also called Fake Klitschko.
According to ARD information, they admitted in an interview that they were funded with funds from the Rutube platform – a Russian copy of YouTube. “We work for Rutube and are Rutube ambassadors.”
“So that’s where we get our money from,” Alexei Stoljarow, aka Lexus, told ARD “Kontraste” magazine. Since 2008, Rutube has belonged to Gazprom-Media – a media group founded by the Russian state-owned company Gazprom, which operates a TikTok clone in addition to the YouTube copy.
Fake Klitschko fooled European mayors
In June, the mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, and the ruling mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, spoke via video with a person who looked like the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, but was not Klitschko. It was then revealed that the mayors of Madrid, Budapest and Warsaw had been similarly deceived.
Russian comedian duo “Vovan and Lexus” admitted to “Contrasts” at the end of June that they were behind the fake video calls. “It was easy,” Stolyarov boasted, giving no further details. In Vienna, the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) started an investigation.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
