The key facts
- The GUR added Vovan and Lexus to its database on October 31
- The agency cites support for the Russian authorities, fundraising for SVO participants, and pranks involving foreign politicians
- Recently the duo pranked former US national security adviser John Bolton
Ukrainian intelligence added the pranksters to its database
Russian pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov, known as Vovan, and Alexei Stolyarov, who goes by the alias Lexus, have been entered into the database of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. Information about them appeared in the list on October 31, reports Life.ru.
What the Ukrainian intelligence service stated
In the profiles of both pranksters, the GUR stated: 'Since 2014, they have systematically discredited Ukraine and its top political leadership on the international stage.' The agency explained its decision by Kuznetsov's and Stolyarov's publications in support of the Russian authorities, as well as posts about fundraising for participants in the special military operation.
Prank calls and trips in the GUR's wording
Ukrainian intelligence also mentioned the duo's prank calls involving foreign politicians, writers and cultural figures. According to the agency, after 2022 the pranks by Vovan and Lexus have mostly focused on the Ukrainian conflict. The database says that Kuznetsov and Stolyarov have repeatedly visited Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk.
A fresh prank on John Bolton
Recently, Vovan and Lexus pranked former US presidential national security adviser John Bolton. According to the outlet, during the conversation Bolton openly praised the Ukrainian fraudsters for stealing money from Russians and suggested directing them against Iran. Adding the pranksters to the GUR database is a decision by the Ukrainian agency, not a sanctions or judicial act: what practical consequences it entails for them is not specified in the publication.
