Ukrainian media posted an audio with an alleged recording of a conversation between Russian music producer Iosif Prigozhin and Azerbaijan-born Russian oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov, in which they discuss and criticise Russia’s leadership. In particular, they expressed their unfavourable opinion towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle, using foul language.
The recording was leaked online several weeks ago, but it only recently made news.
“No, Farkhad, there’s no doubt about the fact that they fucked up the country,” a man who sounds like Prigozhin says on the recording.
The same man also refers to Putin’s inner circle as “washed-up lowlifes” who act as if they are “gods”.
“They joined forces — Igor [Sechin], Sergey [Lavrov], and Viktor Zolotov. They’re blaming [Sergey] Shoigu for everything. They’re calling him a piece of shit, behind his back obviously,” the man says on the recording.
The man who sounds like Akhmedov advises Prigozhin to “sell everything”, if he has “any chance to end up under sanctions” because “they know everything” and “[all the assets] will be frozen”. Furthermore, the man with Akhmedov’s voice complains that “they” only consider the bad and none of the good.
Then, the man talks about the impact the EU, UK, and Canada’s sanctions had on his life after the start of the war in Ukraine. He complains that his card was blocked, while his boat is “rotting”.
“They write that I’m a close friend of Putin’s! Fuck that! The last time I saw Putin was in 2008 <…>
“He screwed all of us over. Everyone and everything. The entire country. The entire population, for fuck’s sake.
“The issue isn’t the fucking money, it’s about decency,” the man who sounds like Akhmedov claims.
“Basically, he buried the Russian nation,” the man with Prigozhin’s voice agrees.
Iosif Prigozhin has already responded, saying that the audio is “fake” and that his stance is known to everyone. “Everyone is aware of my political stance, which is evidenced in all of my interviews and public [comments]. But you know, while I was listening to the audio, I too almost believed it was me,” Prigozhin added.
He claimed that “today’s technologies, neural networks, can be used to fake not only a voice but a conversation”.
Founder of PMC Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin has also commented on the recording allegedly featuring the two men. Yevgeny and Iosif share the same last name.
“It’s possible that the people who were conducting this special operation and who released this conversation could be thinking that it was me talking,” he said.
In comparison to “impudent, aggressive, and quick-tempered” Iosif Prigozhin, Yevgeny claimed he is a very “calm, thoughtful, and non-aggressive person”.
