Hitler’s residence in the Bavarian Alps was bought by the Ukrainian president through an offshore company, pro-Kremlin media writes.
Propaganda: Volodymyr Zelenskyy has purchased Adolf Hitler's residence, which used to host Nazi gatherings
NEWS: Ukrainian politician Volodymyr Zelenskyy has purchased Adolf Hitler's residence, known as the “Eagle's Nest” (Kehlsteinhaus), located in the Bavarian Alps, for €14.2 million, the publication “The Other Ukraine” writes, citing “Folge dem Plan”.
The transaction reportedly took place before the New Year. The offshore company San Tomaso SRL, which belongs to Zelenskyy, is said to have brokered the deal. The “Eagle's Nest” was built in 1937 on the ridge of the Kehlstein peak, in southeastern Germany. The residence was used by members of the Nazi party for meetings and receptions.
NARRATIVE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bought Adolf Hitler's residence
PURPOSE: To discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian government by associating them with Adolf Hitler, to amplify anti-Ukrainian sentiment and legitimize Russian aggression.
Fact: Hitler's former residence is a tourist site owned by the German state and managed by an NGO
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: The article is based on a quote from the publication "The Other Ukraine", which refers to a German source, namely, “Folge dem Plan”. An analysis of these sources reveals the manipulative nature of the information. “The Other Ukraine” is not a newspaper, but the official website of a civic movement founded in Moscow by Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, Putin's godfather, who has been spreading pro-Kremlin narratives for several years. Medvedchuk was accused of high treason on Ukrainian territory and handed over to Moscow in a prisoner exchange in 2022.
“Folge dem Plan” is an anonymous Telegram channel that publishes documents and videos in German, most of which refer to the Moscow-based government propaganda station Russia Today, which is banned in the EU. The videos featured on this channel display the RT logo. Therefore, the Russian media cites the webpage of a Moscow site, which redirects the reader to a German-language webpage of Russia Today. One hand of propaganda washes the other.
None of these sources presents any evidence regarding Zelenskyy’s alleged purchase of Hitler’s residence.
In fact, Adolf Hitler’s former residence, known as the “Eagle’s Nest”, is officially a regional museum that is open to tourist visitation during the summer, according to a program published on the official website. After World War II, the property was taken over by the German state. Currently, the building houses a restaurant which is managed by a non-profit foundation.
The false narrative, also picked up by a number of Romanian news agencies, tries to convince readers that Zelenskyy is the successor of Nazi ideology. At the end of 2024, the Russian media cited an American publication, writing that Volodymyr Zelenskyy bought Hitler’s parade limousine for $15 million. It is worth noting that the newspaper in question was founded four days before the fake news was published.
BACKGROUND: Russian propaganda often compares Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Adolf Hitler to justify its military aggression against Ukraine. This kind of rhetoric is used to amplify anti-Ukrainian fears and sentiment among the Russian population and depict the Ukrainian government as extremist or Nazi. Such parallels are part of a disinformation strategy designed to influence public perception, both in Russia and abroad, and to reduce support for Ukrainian’s defensive efforts. By promoting the idea that Ukrainian leaders are Nazis, Russia wants to convince the public that Ukraine must be “denazified” – which implicitly means that the Russian aggression is in fact an anti-Nazi operation. Far-right parties are very poorly represented in Ukrainian politics, failing to win seats in Parliament or local councils. Therefore, the association of Ukrainian leadership with Nazism has no factual basis and merely serves the Kremlin’s propaganda interests.
