Russian pranksters trick Polish president into believing he is talking to France’s Macron

Polish President Andrzej Duda said that he was tricked by a prankster pretending to be French President Emmanuel Macron last week when a missile strike killed two in a village near the Ukrainian border.

According to Reuters news agency, the call, which lasted for more than seven minutes, was shared on the internet by Russian comedians Vovan and Lexus, in which Duda can be heard speaking in English to the caller, who attempts to speak in a French accent.

Duda’s office later confirmed the incident on Tuesday in a tweet, saying the president realised “the unusual way” the conversation was taking place that it was probably a hoax and hung up.

“After the missile explosion in Przewodow, during the ongoing calls with heads of state and government, a person claiming to be French President Emmanuel Macron was connected.

"During the call, President Andrzej Duda realised from the unusual way the interlocutor conducted the conversation that there might have been an attempted hoax attempt and ended the conversation."

The authorities have now begun to investigate how the callers managed to get in contact with him through regular services, the statement said.

At that time, Duda held numerous calls following the missile strike that raised fears of a significant escalation between NATO allies and Russia.

This is the second time that the Russian comedians— Vovan and Lexus—have managed to get through Duda.

In 2020, they called Duda pretending to be UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, raising questions about security and call screening in Duda's office.

Vovan and Lexus are infamous for tricking celebrities and politicians with prank phone calls. Their past targets include Macron, British singer Elton John and former British prime minister Boris Johnson, among many others.

(With inputs from agencies)

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