The Intercept reported on November 11, 2026, that three OpenAI national security staff spent 17 minutes on a video call with someone they believed was a top Ukrainian intelligence official. The outlet says the callers were the Russian comedy duo known as Vovan and Lexus, who posted a recording of the meeting online. OpenAI spokesperson Nate Evans told The Intercept the company concluded the call was a prank.
Who was on the call
The pranksters are the Russian comedy duo known as Vovan and Lexus. According to The Intercept, they have made prank telephone calls to famous figures since 2011, with past targets ranging from Elton John to John McCain. The outlet says their pranks "have often aligned with Russian foreign policy priorities," and that they "have been accused of working in league with its government, a charge they deny."
On the OpenAI side, The Intercept identified three staff members:
- Sasha Baker, who runs national security policy at OpenAI
- Caroline Zier, the company's lead for strategic initiatives
- Ben Crampton, who, The Intercept says, "leads the country's forays into European national security matters"
The Intercept reports that all three have "extensive government experience," with Baker and Zier "taking high-level postings in the Department of Defense, and Crampton working in the European Union and United Nations."
How the duo got the meeting
The Intercept reports that the pranksters said they posed as Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service. Vladimir Kuznetsov, the member of the duo known as Vovan, told The Intercept: "We initially contacted a senior Ukrainian official in San Francisco, posing as Mr. Umerov." He said that official "was already in touch with Sasha Baker," and that, "Believing he was speaking with Umerov, the official offered to arrange a meeting with OpenAI."
According to The Intercept, the faux-Umerov appears to have kept his camera turned off for the duration of the meeting. Baker and Zier both said during the call that they had met Umerov previously and were pleased to be speaking to him again. The Intercept says the Russian group uploaded a recording of the 17-minute video conversation to Rumble.
What OpenAI staff said
As reported by The Intercept, the call covered OpenAI's military support for Ukraine, including the possibility of offensive capabilities. Asked about selling offensive military AI services to Ukraine, Crampton said: "There's no question, I think, from our perspective that we want to have as deep a relationship as we possibly can with Ukraine. But it may not be possible to get to where we want to be straight away."
He added that inside the company there is hesitation. "There's a general reluctance on the part of many people who are senior in the company to get too involved in offensive uses of our technology in a military context," Crampton said. "Part of our job is to explain that offense and defense are not necessarily distinguishable from each other under certain circumstances."
Other points from the call, as reported by The Intercept:
- Baker said the company has been in contact with the Pentagon about aiding Ukraine.
- The officials mentioned ongoing work with the Ukrainian government built around Daybreak Blue, which The Intercept describes as an OpenAI AI model for fixing computer vulnerabilities. OpenAI's Help Center describes Daybreak Blue as an access tier within its Daybreak cyber program that gives reduced refusals on mainline models. For background, see our explainer on GPT-6 Cyber and who can use it and our report on Daybreak Red in AWS GovCloud.
- They described a nascent "partnership" with Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. "There has been some contact with the Ministry of Defense," Crampton said.
The Intercept reports that the conversation also touched on Elon Musk and on President Donald Trump. "I'm afraid we probably can't help you with Elon Musk," Baker said. "He's not a fan of our CEO either, if it helps you at all. So, we're in the same boat." Of Trump's "increasingly icy stance" on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Intercept reports, Baker said: "It's unfortunate. Of course, we've been reading in the news the back and forth and the comments from the U.S. president. But I do want to reassure you that I think the majority of the U.S. government, the U.S. people certainly, and our researchers are very supportive of Ukraine."
The Intercept also reported, citing contract documents it obtained, that OpenAI's ongoing $200 million contract with the U.S. Department of War says it provides artificial intelligence applications aimed at "warfighters" that will "improve military advantage, military utility, or enhance military decision making."
OpenAI's response
OpenAI spokesperson Nate Evans told The Intercept: "Weeks ago, we launched a thorough investigation into the call's authenticity. We acted internally and with the relevant authorities to conclude that it was a prank conducted by individuals with a history of targeting officials and other companies. We took action to prevent similar situations from happening in the future."
The statement did not say what those steps were. The Ukrainian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to The Intercept's request for comment.
