Russian flag painted on base of Denmark’s “Little Mermaid” statue

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – A Russian flag was discovered painted onto the base of Denmark’s “The Little Mermaid” statue on Thursday in what police said was a “case of vandalism” at Copenhagen’s most famous landmark and a popular tourist attraction.

It was not immediately known who was behind the incident, a police spokesperson said.

Denmark has been a vocal critic of Russia alongside other Western nations following last year’s invasion of Ukraine.

The 110-year-old bronze statue depicts the little mermaid from 19th-century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of the same name, and is sat on a rock by a waterside promenade.

The white, blue and red stripes of the Russian flag were painted across the front of the stone.

(Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Johannes Gotfredsen-Birkebaek, Editing by Terje Solsvik and Raissa Kasolowsky)