Russian pranksters fool 3 OpenAI officials

Two Russian pranksters fooled three senior OpenAI national security officials in a 17 minute video call, The Intercept reported on the 11th of November 2026. OpenAI confirmed the call was a prank, the outlet said.

The pair, known as Vovan and Lexus, posed as Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov, Mint reported. They later posted the video on Rumble, a video site.

How the call was set up

The pranksters first reached a Ukrainian official in San Francisco, The Intercept reported. He believed them and set up the call with OpenAI.

The fake Umerov kept his camera off during the call, Mint reported. Two of the OpenAI officials said they had met him before.

What was discussed

The officials talked about AI help for Ukraine's army, Mint reported. They also discussed whether OpenAI tools could be used in attacks.

Ben Crampton said some OpenAI leaders were wary of attack uses, according to the recording. The other two were Sasha Baker and Caroline Zier.

What OpenAI said

"Weeks ago, we launched a thorough investigation into the call's authenticity," OpenAI spokesperson Nate Evans told The Intercept. OpenAI said it worked with the authorities and acted to stop repeats.

Below we break down the call

The pair has made prank calls since 2011, Mint reported. That is 15 years of calls, by our arithmetic.

Their 17 minute call equals 1,020 seconds.

What is confirmed and what is not

OpenAI did not say when the call happened or what steps it took. Mint called Umerov Ukraine's spy chief, while Digit called him head of its security council.

The Intercept page could not be opened, so quotes come from Mint and India Today, which cite it.

Key facts

The Intercept reported the prank on the 11th of November 2026.

Three senior OpenAI officials joined the 17 minute call.

The pranksters posed as Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov.

OpenAI confirmed it was a prank.