VIDEO: 'They Stole the Future of the Country.' Leaked Conversation Between Billionaire Akhmedov and Prigozhin or a Fake Recording?

On March 26, media outlets and Telegram channels drew attention to a recording in which producer Iosif Prigozhin and billionaire Farhad Akhmedov reportedly criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin and his circle, referring to them as 'scoundrels' and 'criminals' who have robbed them and their children.

The 35-minute dialogue recording was published on YouTube on March 7 but gained traction on March 24 when the Ukrainian 'Fifth Channel' shared it. According to Meduza.io, the authenticity of the voices in the recording has not been verified. 'Mediazona' has provided a full transcript of the conversation. As noted by the outlet, the interlocutors used the word 'блядь' 157 times and insulted Kremlin officials, the Russian military command, and personally Vladimir Putin.

Iosif Prigozhin initially reacted inconsistently to the publication of the recording, calling it false and claiming that the voice could have been 'created by a neural network.' 'Everyone knows my political stance; it is evident in all interviews and in the public sphere,' said the producer, who publicly supports Russian actions in Ukraine and Putin himself.

Later, Prigozhin gave an interview to Fontanka, stating that 'in a private conversation, people can talk about anything,' and that 'neural networks today allow for miracles.' At the same time, Prigozhin insisted he does not distinctly remember having such a conversation with Akhmedov but acknowledged that he has regularly interacted with him. 'There are indeed real moments in the conversation. The voice resembles mine. But how and from what it has been glued together is unclear. It needs to be clarified,' he remarked.

Farhad Akhmedov and his representatives have not commented on the publication at this time.

It is also noted that the conversation between Prigozhin and Akhmedov took place no later than January 2023. This is confirmed by certain remarks, as 'Akhmedov' mentions during the discussion that he could come to Moscow after February 15. In an interview with Lenta.ru, Iosif Prigozhin confirmed that he was in Dubai until the end of January, including 'on the day that is depicted in the recording.'