Category Volodymyr Zelensky

There’s no evidence that Ukraine’s president has a net worth of $596 million

There is no proof that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a net worth of $596 million or receives a monthly income of $11 million.
Leaked financial documents showed Zelenskyy had several assets like real estate property and cars, but not enough to corroborate the claim made on Facebook.
A report by Forbes found the Ukrainian president's net worth was closer to $20 million to $30 million.

Our ruling
A Facebook post shared a screenshot from a website claiming to show Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's net worth as being $596 million while receiving a monthly income of $11 million and a salary of $780,000.

The website featured in the Facebook post offered no corroborating evidence for the claim.

Leaked financial documents showed Zelenskyy did have some assets, but nowhere near what's being claimed on the website and Facebook post.

A report by Forbes found his net worth to be much smaller, around $20 million to $30 million.

We rate this False.

Read MoreThere’s no evidence that Ukraine’s president has a net worth of $596 million

Altered magazine cover featuring Ukrainian president spreads online

Social media posts share an image that purportedly shows Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky riding a horse made of banknotes on the cover of Money, a US magazine. But no such cover was published; the image was altered from a 2016 issue, according to the magazine, which is now only available online.

Read MoreAltered magazine cover featuring Ukrainian president spreads online

Fake: Zelensky to Legalize “Polish Seizure of Ukraine”

According to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the law on the special status of Polish citizens in Ukraine will mirror the law adopted by the Polish parliament, the Sejm concerning assistance to Ukrainian citizens forced from their country by Russia's war. Under this law, citizens of Ukraine have the same rights as Polish citizens, except for the right to vote. This includes the right to legally reside in Poland, travel, work and open a business without a special work permit, access to education, the public health service and social assistance, including unemployment insurance.

Read MoreFake: Zelensky to Legalize “Polish Seizure of Ukraine”

Was Cocaine on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Desk During Video Chat With Elon Musk?

The digitally manipulated footage was created by using a genuine video of Zelenskyy in a video call with the pair. That authentic footage was posted to Zelenskyy's Instagram account in March 2022 as the Russian invasion of Ukraine was in its early stages. In the call, Zelenskyy invited Musk to Ukraine "after the war."

Read MoreWas Cocaine on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Desk During Video Chat With Elon Musk?

Disinfo: Zelenskyy is only a marketing operation, a Jewish face for a Nazi regime

The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been actively used by the pro-Kremlin outlets for years to denigrate Ukraine.

In 2015 Ukraine issued a ban on Nazi and Communist ideologies. The far-right groups had a limited presence during the Euromaidan protests and have suffered defeats in every national election since, with a united front of all radical right-wing parties in the 2019 parliamentary elections winning only 2.15% of the vote falling far short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.

Read MoreDisinfo: Zelenskyy is only a marketing operation, a Jewish face for a Nazi regime

No proof that Ukraine President Zelenskyy owns a $35 million home in Florida I

There is no proof that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy owns a $35 million home in Florida.
The claim originated from a source that appears to be backed by the Russian government.
The Pandora Papers leak did show Zelenskyy owned several offshore companies and other assets, but nothing that could corroborate the claim made on social media.

Our ruling
A now-deleted Facebook post shared the claim that Ukraine President Zelenskyy owned a $35 million home in Florida among several other assets.

The claim appears to have originated from a Russian-backed source, and no other corroborating evidence for the claim could be found.

While leaked financial documents showed Zelenskyy owned several offshore companies and other assets like cars and property, they made no mention of a Florida home.

We rate this claim False.

Read MoreNo proof that Ukraine President Zelenskyy owns a $35 million home in Florida I

Viral videos falsely claiming Ukraine’s Zelenskyy uses cocaine are altered

Two viral videos purported to show that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy uses cocaine. One video appeared to show cocaine on Zelenskyy's desk as he spoke, while the other appeared to show him saying that he uses the drug routinely.

The first video was doctored; in the original, there is no white substance on Zelenskyy's desk. The second video was deceptively edited; in the original, he denied using drugs.

Our ruling
Two videos claimed to show Zelenskyy either using or admitting to using cocaine.

The first video purports to show a white powder on Zelenskyy's desk as he placed a video call to Musk. But the video was doctored to include the substance, which is not in the original.

The second video appears to show Zelenskyy talking about using cocaine regularly, but the video was deceptively edited to reorder Zelenskyy's words. In reality, Zelenskyy denied using drugs.

We rate these videos Pants on Fire!

Read MoreViral videos falsely claiming Ukraine’s Zelenskyy uses cocaine are altered