Russian pranksters fool Australian MPs by posing as Navalny aides

Vovan and Lexus gave evidence at a Senate hearing alleging Russian spies were stealing kangaroos and echidnas

Two Russian pranksters posed as representatives of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny to successfully dupe an Australian Senate committee into taking their evidence on a sanctions bill.

Vovan and Lexus, who have played pranks on celebrities from Elton John to the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, obtained a hearing from the foreign affairs and trade committee in April 2021 to discuss a Magnitsky sanctions regime.