Kyrenia, Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus - A luxury resort in Northern Cyprus has become the unexpected center of a bizarre online hoax alleging ownership by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vuni Palace Hotel & Casino, operated by Oscar Ltd, issued a strong denial today, calling the claim "entirely baseless" and part of a wider pattern of disinformation targeting Zelensky.
Rumors exploded on social media this week, claiming Zelensky's company "Film Heritage Inc." had purchased the resort for hundreds of millions of dollars. The source? A now-deleted article from Turkish news site OdaTV, amplified by social media users sharing screenshots of a website purportedly belonging to Vuni Palace.
This website, however, has been revealed to be a poorly-constructed fake, registered mere days before the rumor surfaced. It displayed "Film Heritage Inc." prominently, but was not in Turkish like the genuine Vuni Palace site, and lacked basic functionality.
Journalistic investigations, including work by the Cyprus Investigative Reporting Network, swiftly debunked the site's legitimacy. The official Vuni Palace website (insert official website address here) makes zero mention of Zelensky, his alleged company, or any such transaction.
"This incident is part of a larger pattern of disinformation targeting President Zelensky," stated Oscar Ltd in their press release, highlighting numerous false accusations of extravagant property purchases leveled against the Ukrainian leader since the 2022 Russian invasion.
Vuni Palace is now pursuing legal action against those responsible for creating and spreading the hoax. This case highlights the speed and reach of online disinformation, particularly when exploiting international tensions and figures like Zelensky already subject to targeted campaigns.
