Outrageous luxuries

Trump rift opens floodgates of disinformation on Ukraine

Disinformation targeting Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelensky is surging as US President Donald Trump's shift on the war frays relations with Kyiv and threatens to cripple support for the battle-worn nation. [...]

Joseph Bodnar, a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (archived here), said the Russian influence efforts are focused "on fostering animosity between the Trump and Zelensky administrations."

"Russia wants to convince US negotiators that Ukraine is their enemy, not their partner. It's a means for the Kremlin to extract favorable terms in whatever peace settlement comes."

Read MoreTrump rift opens floodgates of disinformation on Ukraine

FACT CHECK: Post Claims To Show French Villa Bought By Ukraine Defense Minister | Check Your Fact

A video shared on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, claims to show a French villa that was bought by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov for his daughter.

Verdict: False
There is no evidence that Reznikov bought this house.

Read MoreFACT CHECK: Post Claims To Show French Villa Bought By Ukraine Defense Minister | Check Your Fact

Is This a Real Photograph of Zelenskyy’s Home? | Snopes.com

The above photograph does not show Zelenskyy's home. Using Google's reverse-image search tool, we found the same photograph on a number of real estate websites showing luxury properties in France and Monaco.

Given that the author of the original tweet pulled the photo from real estate profiles of a house in France, without providing any evidence of its ownership, we rate this photograph as "Miscaptioned."

Read MoreIs This a Real Photograph of Zelenskyy’s Home? | Snopes.com

No, Zelensky didn’t buy a mansion belonging to the British royal family

Did the Ukrainian president embezzle Western aid money to buy Highgrove House, the family residence of King Charles III? No, but pro-Russian social media accounts have been spreading that rumour. They want people in the United States and Europe to question how aid being sent to Ukraine is being used ahead of upcoming elections. However, this rumour is based on fake testimony and, what's more, this sale is legally impossible.

Read MoreNo, Zelensky didn’t buy a mansion belonging to the British royal family

Zelenskyy and Wife Photographed with Stacks of Money? | Snopes.com

Because the photograph was digitally edited to include Zelenskyy and Zelenska, we have rated this claim as "Fake."

The TinEye reverse-image search tool showed that the original photograph [with stacks of money] depicted Floyd Mayweather, a former professional boxer.

Read MoreZelenskyy and Wife Photographed with Stacks of Money? | Snopes.com

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy Bought a Casino in Cyprus?

The claim that Zelenskyy purchased a casino in Cyprus is belied by the fact that the owners of that casino say they have not sold it, by the fact that the original reporting on the claim was based on a fake website, and by the fact that this original reporting was deleted. Because no real evidence supports the claim, Snopes rates it "False."

Read MoreUkraine’s President Zelenskyy Bought a Casino in Cyprus?

DISINFORMATION ABOUT ZELENSKYY BUYING A £150 MILLION VILLA IN CYPRUS

The information about the purchase of a hotel is disinformation. The President of Cyprus, the Ukrainian Embassy in Cyprus, and the company that owns the hotel have denied the allegation about the purchase of the hotel by Zelenskyy or a related company. Moreover, the website on which the allegation about Zelenskyy's connection to the hotel appeared turned out to be a clone of the hotel's website and a fake website that was created three days before the information was spread.

Read MoreDISINFORMATION ABOUT ZELENSKYY BUYING A £150 MILLION VILLA IN CYPRUS

War in Ukraine: In 2023, Russian disinformation continued to dominate

Out of the 197 fact-checking articles our team wrote in 2023, 52 of them concerned the war in Ukraine. And 50 of those highlighted pro-Russian disinformation aimed at discrediting Kyiv and the Ukrainian war effort.

Read MoreWar in Ukraine: In 2023, Russian disinformation continued to dominate

No, Ukraine’s Zelensky did not buy a lavish mansion in Florida – Truth or Fake

A few days after Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington, social media accounts are claiming that the Ukrainian president recently bought a mansion in Florida. The posts show pictures of a lavish mansion and a document that looks like a US naturalisation certificate under his name. But both photos are fake: Zelensky did not buy a house in the US, nor did he become a US citizen.

Read MoreNo, Ukraine’s Zelensky did not buy a lavish mansion in Florida – Truth or Fake