ANALYSIS OF THE CONVERSATIONS OF THE PRANKSTER WITH THE OTHER VICTIMS

When were the conversations mostly published? What was the political context before or after their publishing? What was the point of the Russian “comedians”?

The F2N2 team conducted a research aimed at analyzing the impact of the actions taken by Lexus and Volot under two key parameters. The first is the time of the publishing of the prank, and the second is the political context that was actual at that same time. The analysis of this research shows the causal consequences of the above mentioned criteria. Also the analysis shows certain trends, considering that the connection between the two criteria is proven by facts.

Almost all the conversations of the pranksters with the senior politicians are usually at a time when the victim or the state that he represents are part of sensitive political processes in the international politics. All these actions are aimed at bringing discord between the states that are the subject of their interests or questions, and they are far from jokes, even innocent ones, as they themselves call them. As can be seen from these examples, the pranksters treat topics such as the sanctions against Russia, the sanctions against Iran, Montenegro’s membership in NATO, the Referendum for the independence of Catalonia and so on. Their approach is generally an attempt to provide important first-hand information, and then publish materials in order to discred the victims. All these actions are aimed at bringing discord between the states that are the subject of their interests or questions, and they are far from jokes, even innocent ones, as they themselves call them.

Or, as we have already written, “Prank is a dash, an attempt to hurt someone, that is, to intentionally and in a planned and prepared manner harm someone. And most often (in a contemporary context) the pranking is public, in order to disrupt the public reputation of the pranked person, to present them to the public as gullible, or at least not more prudent than the pranksters who outsmart them (the unsuccessful attempts certainly do not gain publicity)”.

Target: Emanuel Macron, President of France

A Russian prankster, representing himself as the newly elected Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski, also deceived the French President Emanuel Macron in a telephone conversation. The conversation was released 9 days after the big fire in Notre Dame, which was watched live all over the world.

In a 15-minute conversation, the Russian pranksters, known worldwide for their fake representation in telephone conversations with celebrities and politicians, most often present themselves as the new Ukrainian President Zelenski, as was the case with Macron. In a phone conversation, the imitator of Zelensky tells the French president that his victory with a huge percentage of 73% of the votes is due to the fact that the Russian President Vladimir Putin won by winning a huge percentage of the votes in the elections.

In a telephone conversation, the French president still tells to the false Zelenski that he is not like Putin, “because he still hasn’t put all his opponents in jail.”

Macron’s cabinet neither confirms this news, nor rejects it as incorrect.

The intention of the Russian pranksters tandem is obvious, with the false representations in the telephone conversations in order to lure the politicians to a conversation in which things would be said which, after being publicly published, could harm the relations between the two countries. It is not only about an innocent joke with high caliber figures, but also about a calculated action that can lead to deterioration of the bilateral relations between the two countries.

A prank which happens immediately after the official results of the presidential elections on April 21, 2019 in Ukraine. They are trying to point to conclusions that will harm Petro Poroshenko, a well-known opponent of the Kremlin. Petro Poroshenko is represented as a criminal and alcoholic by “the comedians”. In addition, an attempt is being made to trick Macron into speaking on the subject of “Russia as the greatest threat to the stability in Europe and beyond”.

The conversation was published 9 days after the big fire in Notre Dame, which was watched live all over the world, which undoubtedly affected the trust in the French institutions, as well as in the President of the Republic.

Target: Jean-Claude Juncker – President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini – High Representative for EU foreign policy

Last year on July 19, the Russian pranksters took the Head of the European Commission at the time, Jean-Claude Juncker, and EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, as victims of fraud.

In the conversations, of which one is with a duration of 10 minutes and the other 12 minutes, published by Euronews, the Russian fraudsters present themselves as Armenia’s new prime minister, Nikola Pashianyan, who won the May elections that year.

In a conversation with Juncker, which most likely happened on May 9, 2018, they talk about US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear arms deal with Iran.

In the conversation, Juncker reportedly says that the “EU is very concerned about this move, as is he personally, because it is a big mistake on the part of the United States.”

According to the claims by the false Armenian prime minister that Armenia is under a big pressure by the United States, Juncker says: “We have to explain to Mr. Trump over and over again the world because he does not understand what is happening. But we will explain to him the situation in Armenia.”

Juncker also said in the conversation that he is a personal friend of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. And, when a fake Pashinjan tells him that “the Kardashian team wants to work in the foreign ministry”, he answers “yes, yes, that’s good.”

In a conversation with Mogherini on the subject, she says that “she understands that Armenia is in a difficult and complex surrounding, but that they can count on the EU as a friend that will help reduce tensions and pressures in order to find ways of cooperation.

The conversation was announced several days before Juncker’s official visit to Washington. In these conversations, it is clear that the Russian pranksters had the intention to trick the interlocutors into a conversation in which they would attack the US President Trump and thus damage the relations between the highest EU bodies and the US administration. Additionally, they trick the interlocutor to openly talk about the nuclear deal and the consequences of the US withdrawal from it.

Target: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Macedonia Turkey

Presenting themselves as the Ukrainian President Poroshenko and the Prime Minister Yatsunyk, the Russian pranksters also tricked the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in February 2016 in a telephone conversation .

In the audio document, the Turkish president through an interpreter speaks with the fake Poroshenko.

He says that “I would gladly participate in the economic and even the naval blockade of the Crimea and would join the company of the countries that suffer the consequences of the Russian sanctions.” Both sides support the Crimean Tatar body that opposes the accession of Crimea to Russia.

In the conversation, Erdogan further says that he “will never, ever apologize to the Russian President Putin for the overthrow of the Russian SU-24 aircraft on the Syrian-Turkish border in November 2015”.

Turkey rejected these talks as fake. “It is difficult to get to the Turkish president, we have a specific protocol, an anonymous source from the Turkish government said when asked about this conversation.

The conversation was published between the two terrorist attacks, on February 3 in Gaziantep and on February 17 in Ankara. The topics of the conversation and the way the discussion is led by the Russian pranksters are aimed at disrupting the Russian-Turkish relations, or better said, they trick the interlocutor to speak openly against Putin and the Russian foreign policy, as well as the concrete steps that can be expected by Turkey.

Target: Nicky Haley – United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Maxine Waters – Congressman, John McCain – Senator

Two US politicians were also targets of the Russian pranksters. Congressman Maxine Waters was tricked at the start of 2017, whereas the US ambassador to the UN Nicky Haley was a target of the pranksters at the end of that year. The joint fact of these two cases is that both are deceived for an alleged Russian influence in two fictional territories, and that both are targets of a “prank” during a period in which the US Congress was debating the sanctions against Russia over the impact on the US elections.

Congressman Maxine Waters was the target of the Russian pranksters, Vovan and Lexus at the beginning of 2017. The Prime Minister Waters, who is known for her anti-Russian attitude, talks on the phone, having the impression that she is speaking to the Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.

The pranksters, or actually one of them, who represents himself as Groysman, asks her to make the US intervene in the fictitious territory of Limpopo, where supposedly Russian hackers influence the elections. The Russians also set up a fictional character whom they called “Aybolit” as the president of the fictional African territory.

Waters promises them an interventon of the United States, but admits that she doesn’t know exactly how many secret agents they have in that fictitious territory, “Limpopo.”

Waters tells the fake Ukrainian Prime Minister that they will increase the sanctions against Russia and is amazed by the information of the pranksters that Putin’s state military has already arrived in western Ukraine.

Given the fact that Waters was one of the loudest to pass sanctions on Russia at the American Congress, the prankster wanted to discredit and present her as a non-serious politician. This prank served to create the impression that all of Waters’ performances should be taken with reserve, and thus discredited her voice at the congress against Russia.

The conversation was published shortly before the voting for the sanctions against Russia in the US Congress.

The Russian pranksterers have similarly tricked the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nicky Haley. They introduced themselves as the Polish Prime Minister Matheusz Morawiecki, and urge the ambassador to speak against Russia with allegedly Russian influence on a fictional state.

One of the Russian pranksters during a 22-minute conversation told the ambassador that Russia interferes in the political issues of the fictional island in South China named “Binomo”, and the ambassador, convinced that such an island exists, tells the “Polish Prime Minister” that The United States is following the situation with great attention and will show Russia its deserved place.

Just as in the previous case, it is clear that the pranksters intend to present Russia as a victim or target to the Americans, and the United States as its casual enemy upon all issues.

The conversation was published shortly before the voting for the sanctions against Russia in the US Congress.

Another US politician “fell” on a similar scam like Haley and Waters.  The Senator John McCain, while thinking that he was speaking to Volodymyr Groysman, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, openly talking about many sensitive international issues.

He was also provoked to talk about America’s planned sanctions on Russia, and President Donald Trump’s position on this issue.  McCain was the target of the prankers because he was one of the politicians who asked for an investigation into the possible impact of the Russian hackers in the US election.

McCain too, like Haley and Waters, were more targets of discredation, but also used as direct sources for obtaining sensitive first-hand information, which were very important for the international politics.

The conversation was announced shortly before the voting of the sanctions against Russia in the US Congress.

Target: Maria Dolores, Minister of Defense of Spain

After her statement about Russia’s alleged interference in Catalan politics, Spanish Defense Minister Marija Dolores was also a target of the Russian comedians.

In October 2017, Catalonia announced independence from Spain and Charles Pujdeemon came as the leader of the new self-proclaimed state. About a month later, the Russian pranksters called the Spanish Minister representing themselves as a Latvian Minister of Defense, convinced her that Pujdeemon was a Russian spy with the nickname “Chipolino”, and that there is evidence that the fake minister will deliver to the Spanish Government.

The conversation was announced several months after the Referendum for the independence of Catalonia. To spice up the conversation, the pranksters even convinces the Minister that almost all Russian tourists who go to Barcelona are Russian secret agents, while the Minister is convincing the interlocutor that the situation in Catalonia is under control. But although the pranksters provoked her, the Minister did not get into details, nor commented about Russia or Vladimir Putin.

Target: Milo Djukanovic, President of Montenegro

The identity of the former Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko are again exploited, now in conversation with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

Montenegro became a NATO member on June 5, 2017, and the conversations took place in the media just a few days before this important day for the Balkans. The Russian “comedians” have lured Djukanovic to speak mainly against Russia and about Montenegro’s membership in NATO. Djukanovic, just as in his public appearances, spoke of his country’s determination for NATO and the EU and that he will not allow any Russian influence to hinder this path. As a reminder, the tape was released immediately after the trial (09.05.2019) for coup attempt (October 16, 2016), where, according to the verdicts, officers of the Russian Intelligence – GRU were also involved.

Almost all the conversations of the pranksters with the senior politicians are usually at a time when the victim or the state that he represents are part of sensitive political processes in the international politics. All these actions are aimed at bringing discord between the states that are the subject of their interests or questions, and they are far from jokes, even innocent ones, as they themselves call them. As can be seen from these examples, the pranksters treat topics such as the sanctions against Russia, the sanctions against Iran, Montenegro’s membership in NATO, the Referendum for the independence of Catalonia and so on. Their approach is generally an attempt to provide important first-hand information, and then publish materials for discrediting victims. Or, as we have already written, “the prank is a dash, an attempt to hurt someone, meaning to intentionally and in a planned and prepared way to harm someone. And most often (in a contemporary context) the pranking is public, in order to disrupt the public reputation of the person being a subject to pranks, to present them to the public as someone who is gullible or at least not more prudent than the pranksters who outsmart them (unsuccessful attempts certainly do not gain publicity).