Over the first few days of June, a claim has spread on social media that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is secretly the owner of the Vuni Palace Casino Resort and Hotel in Cyprus. It’s an explosive story, for sure, but one that appears to be entirely fictional and invented only in late May.

According to Snopes.com, it appears that the claim originated on June 1, when the Turkish news outlet OdaTV published a story that has since been deleted. 

Fake Website Sets Rumors in Motion

It seems as though the Turkish outlet was basing its story on a fake website for Vuni Palace, one that had been registered only on May 29. That site included the name Film Heritage Inc. as holding a copyright in the footer. Film Heritage Inc. is a company, based out of Belize, that is owned by Zelensky and his wife. 

However, the site had some glaring errors that should have been noticed by a news outlet almost immediately. For one, while the hotel and casino are located in an area of Northern Cyprus where Turkish is the primary language, the entirety of the site was written in English – and only English. In addition, Vuni Palace has a real website, one that has Turkish content.

Nonetheless, the report was quickly picked up by an X account by the name of Aussie Cossack, which tweeted the “bombshell allegations” that “Zelensky spent $200 million to buy himself a 5 star casino resort on the beaches of Cyprus.” That post has been viewed 3.1 million times since it was first published on June 3. 

The source of that post is worthy of scrutiny. The Aussie Cossack account describes itself as a “registered foreign agent of Sputnik News,” a state-controlled media outlet in Russia. As Newsweek reported, this is hardly the first time claims that appear to be propaganda from Russian sources have tied Zelensky to major purchases that have turned out to be fake, including two yachts and a $20 million mansion in Florida. 

The real Vuni Palace Hotel in Cyprus is not owned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Image: courtesy of Vuni Palace)

Hotel Owners, Ukrainian Embassy Deny ‘Propaganda’

The owners of Vuni Palace denied the rumor, telling the Cyprus Mail that the Oscar Group of Companies – founded by Erdem Oskar – is still the owner of the casino and hotel complex. 

The Ukrainian Embassy in Cyprus also issued a statement strongly denouncing the claims, saying they were designed for “discrediting Ukraine and its leadership in the eyes of the world community.”

“Russian propaganda spreads a fake story that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has allegedly become the owner of one of the largest casinos in Europe, which is located in Cyprus,” the statement read. “However, the publication provides no evidence to support its claim. The information itself is false…we urge readers and media professionals to trust only reliable sources and be cautious of manipulations and Russian propaganda.”

While Vuni Palace has had a casino on site since 2006, the facility markets itself primarily as a five-star hotel for families. The hotel website touts its ocean views, wellness programs, luxury restaurants and variety of activities, without mentioning the casino at all.

There is a page that shows the casino at Vuni Palace, but it is relatively hidden and not linked to from the main navigation.

Check out our reviews of the best legit USA online casinos.

(Top Image: Dirk Wael/Belga News Agency)