Russia 'directly responsible' for hoax video calls to ministers

Russia ‘directly responsible’ for hoax video calls made to senior ministers including Ben Wallace from man claiming to be Ukrainian PM, says Downing Street

  • Video calls got to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel
  • Unsuccessful attempt also made to reach Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries
  • No10 said hoaxes attempt by Putin regime to distract from military problems

Downing Street has publicly blamed Russia for being behind hoax calls which targeted a trio of Cabinet ministers last week.

Pranksters got through to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel via the Microsoft Teams platform using a fake email.

An unsuccessful attempt was also made to get through to Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

Downing Street said the hoax video calls to UK ministers were an attempt by Vladimir Putin’s regime to distract from military problems in Ukraine.

‘We are seeing a string of distraction stories and outright lies from the Kremlin, reflecting Putin’s desperation as he seeks to hide the scale of the conflict and Russia’s failings on the battlefield,’ the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

Senior Government sources fear the Russians may attempt to doctor footage obtained in the calls in an attempt to embarrass the UK.

Pranksters got through to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel via the Microsoft Teams platform using a fake email.

Mr Wallace lashed out at the Kremlin’s ‘dirty tricks’ after he and Home Secretary Priti Patel were targeted

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace publicly acknowledged he had been targeted shortly after his call on Thursday in an attempt to get ahead of any attempt by Moscow to circulate footage from it.

He also initiated a cross-Whitehall review to tighten up security procedures.

Mr Wallace told how he spent around 10 minutes on a Microsoft Teams call with a man claiming to be Denys Shmyhal. 

He asked about British policy and eventually urged him to shout slogans, before Mr Wallace ended the call. 

The video call was set up after an email, purportedly sent from an aide at the Ukrainian embassy, was sent to a government department and then forwarded to the Ministry of Defence.

The call was set up and Mr Wallace was put through on Teams to the ‘prime minister of Ukraine’, posing with the country’s flag behind him. 

The Times reported that Mr Wallace was asked about the chances of UK warships going to the Black sea and whether Ukraine should get nuclear weapons or join Nato.

Senior Ministry of Defence sources fear Moscow may attempt to splice together Mr Wallace’s comments in an attempt to embarrass him.     

He ordered an immediate inquiry to find out how the impostor was able to speak to him. 

His admission was followed by a similar one by Ms Patel, who said she was targeted earlier this week.

The Defence Secretary said it was a ‘desperate attempt’ but ‘no amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks’ could distract from the human rights abuses carried out during the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s forces. 

Mr Wallace revealed he had been targeted by the hoax call in a Twitter post.

The fact that a hoax caller was able to speak directly to the Defence Secretary raises security questions, particularly given Mr Wallace’s suggestion that Russia was behind it.

He said: ‘Today an attempt was made by an imposter claiming to be Ukrainian PM to speak with me.

‘He posed several misleading questions and after becoming suspicious I terminated the call.

‘No amount of Russian disinformation, distortion and dirty tricks can distract from Russia’s human rights abuses and illegal invasion of Ukraine. A desperate attempt.’

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