UK slams Russia after officials duped by hoax video calls

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain has accused Russia of spreading misinformation by posting doctored clips of the U.K.’s defense chief speaking to a hoaxer posing as Ukraine’s prime minister. Two videos of Defense Secretary Ben Wallace were posted on the YouTube channel of Russian prankster duo Vovan and Lexus. The British government says the Russian state was behind the hoax. The Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that the clips had been “fed out to obscure and manipulate the truth.” Britain has launched a security probe into how a hoaxer posing as Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was put through on a video call to Wallace on Thursday.