ALBAWABA - Rumors and fictional claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska purchasing luxurious houses, cars and lands using US assistance continue to hit the internet.
The latest rumor being spread by the Italian website Database Italia and many pro-Russian users on X was that Zelensky and his wife purchased on June 28 a luxurious wine estate in Italy whose price is estimated between $76 million and $95 million.
An X account called "Aussie Cossack" posted a video claiming that the President of Ukraine bought a new property in Italy two weeks after the G7 summit in the city of Fasano in Apulia, Italy.
During the G7 meeting which was held from 13 to 15 June 2024, the group agreed on sending aid to Ukraine of $50 billion by the end of this year.
According to the the Italian website, the Tuscan wine estate, known as Tenuta il Palagio, which was owned by Sting is now taken by San Tomaso S.R.L., a firm claimed to be owned by Ukrainian President Zelensky and his spouse.
The website also shared unconfirmed pictures of the purchase and claimed that they were taken from the "Italian land registry" allegedly supporting the claim that Zelesnky bought the wine estate adding that the Ukraine president is known to be a red wine fan.
The X team refuted that claim on Zelensky by highlighting the video and saying: "The information presented in this video is completely fictitious."
In early July, a fake receipt was widely shared and caused controversy claiming that Olena Zelenska got the newest Bugatti Tourbillon for $4.8 million allegedly using the money gained by US aid.
Bugatti, the car manufacturer, released a statement denying allegations spread online and added that it is filing a "criminal complaint" for forgery and defamation and other alleged crimes against people who started the rumor.
USA TODAY reported citing Nicole Auger, a spokesperson for Bugatti, who said that the invoice shared in the post, which went viral, is not correct and lacks much necessary legal and financial information.
"Bugatti respects the privacy of its customers and does not normally disclose any information about its customers. In this case, (Bugatti) makes an exception because it is a false report and does not correspond to the truth. According to an internal check, Mrs. Zelenska is not a Bugatti customer," the Bugatti spokesperson added.
