Russian authorities have put a vacation home owned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's family in Crimea up for auction, according to the Russian news agency "Tass" today. The 120-square-meter apartment in the luxury resort of Yalta in southern Crimea was sold for 44.3 million rubles (approximately $480,000), almost double the starting bid. Only two people participated in the auction for the house. Zelensky's wife, Olena, was the official previous owner, having purchased the apartment in 2013, a year before Russia's annexation of Crimea. At that time, Zelensky was still working as an actor.
The apartment consists of three rooms and overlooks the Black Sea and the Livadia Palace, the summer residence of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. The apartment was seized earlier this year following a law change unanimously passed by the Crimean parliament. Reports have indicated that some of the proceeds from the sale of the apartment will be used in Russia's war against Ukraine. The buyer, Olga Lipovitskaya, told the news portal "Mash" that she purchased the apartment because of its location and the climate of Crimea, rather than its history.
