European mayors duped into calls with fake Kyiv mayor

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The mayor of Ukraine’s capital has warned that an imposter is posing as him and communicating with other officials. Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko told German daily newspaper Bild that “several mayors in Europe have been contacted by a fake mayor of Kyiv who has been saying absurd things.” The mayors of Berlin, Madrid and Vienna all confirmed having video calls with someone claiming to be Klitschko. The office of Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey says she cut short a call with the reputed Kyiv mayor after his comments and questions made her suspicious. On Saturday, Giffey called the use of a phony Klitschko “a means of modern warfare,” referring to Russia’s four-month war on Ukraine.