RUSSIAN Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, is not planning to buy a property in Marbella, Benhavis or anywhere else on the Costa del Sol.

This was revealed exclusively to EWN by the Prime Minister’s press office which rubbished widespread reports in the Spanish and at least one local English language newspaper. Citing Spanish gossip magazine Vanitatis, these reports claimed Putin was ‘keen to snap up’ a mansion in La Zagaleta, Benhavis, described as ‘Europe's most exclusive residential development’, according to lazagaleta.com. Several reports said Putin was convinced to buy a property in La Zagaleta by former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov who lives in the urbanization. An official from Putin’s press office laughed off the reports, and revealed EWN was the first to ask them if the story was accurate.