Russian pranksters Vovan & Lexus have released a video of Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti, claiming he fell victim to their deception, Koha.net reported on March 26.

One of the comedians, known for tricking high-profile figures, allegedly introduced himself as the president of Latvia during a video call with Kurti.

The footage, published on March 25, shows Kurti speaking in English during what appears to be a live online conversation. Throughout the call, he discusses various political issues, including hybrid warfare, Serbia and Russia’s influence in Kosovo, and opposition tactics.

The Prime Minister’s Office reacted after the video was released, confirming that Kurti fell victim to the fraud. The office stated that the incident occurred on February 11, shortly after Kosovo’s parliamentary elections, when Kurti was receiving numerous congratulatory messages about the election results. Due to time constraints, it was not always possible to fully verify each call, the statement explained.

"This unfortunate incident reinforces what we have known for a long time: Russia is obsessed with Kosovo and continues to target our country," the PM’s office stated, according to the article.

The government also accused Russian media outlets, Sputnik Serbia and Russia Today, of publishing over 60 fake news and disinformation articles during Kosovo’s election campaign.

During the conversation, Kurti expressed concerns about a hybrid war being waged against him, mainly by Serbia, Russia, and their elements within Kosovo.

Kurti also criticised Richard Grenell, the former US envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, accusing him of working against him for four years.

He claimed that Grenell was instrumental in toppling his previous government and highlighted that he had received a decoration from Serbia, saying: "It's not good to receive one from an authoritarian state and pretend to be neutral."

Additionally, Kurti spoke about military supplies and an ammunition factory, though details on this part of the conversation remain unclear.

Vovan & Lexus have a history of pranking influential figures, having previously fooled US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris as well as former British prime minister Boris Johnson.

This is also not the first time a Kosovo leader has been deceived by pranksters. In 2019, then prime minister Ramush Haradinaj fell victim to a similar hoax.