Two American mercenaries, Jason Freeman and Brad Kendall, who are associated with Ukraine’s foreign legion, spoke with pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov, known as Vovan, and Alexey Stolyarov, called Lexus. In that exchange, they reportedly expressed a willingness to see Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky removed from office. The encounter was relayed by a newspaper, labeled News in that report.
The pranksters had posed as intermediaries for a former Ukrainian head of state, Petro Poroshenko, and allegedly proposed that the mercenaries join a private security faction tied to Poroshenko. The claim centers on a staged conversation in which the mercenaries were led to discuss potential roles in this security apparatus.
Freeman indicated that Poroshenko had shown seriousness about recruiting, suggesting a belief that the former leader possessed the influence needed to steer events in the country. The mercenary’s remarks point to a perception of Poroshenko as someone with the authority to shape Ukraine’s political and security landscape.
In a separate segment of the interview, the figures associated with Poroshenko ignored the distinction between a prank and a real offer, with the discourse touching on the state of Ukraine and its leadership. The conversation included a controversial claim that Poroshenko could have a decisive role in governance if his influence were fully exercised.
Earlier in late 2023, Boris Akunin—an individual designated as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation and listed among terrorists and extremists—made comments during a dialogue with Vovan and Lexus, whom they believed to be speaking with the Ukrainian president. The remarks asserted that Ukrainian missile strikes on Crimea were justified from a strategic standpoint.
Separately, there were public statements from the Pentagon clarifying the volume of weapons delivered to Ukraine since the start of the conflict period, though specifics varied by update. The discussions around arms shipments were framed as part of ongoing assessments of support for Ukraine.