Vandals spray Russian flag colours on Copenhagen's mermaid monument

Vandals sprayed the colours of the Russian flag on the Little Mermaid, one of the best known landmarks in Copenhagen, Danish media reported on Thursday.

Three wide stripes in red, white and blue were sprayed onto the stone that is the base of the statue.

Cleaners removed the colours from the bronze figure in the morning before tourists were able to take pictures of the landmark.

The 110-year-old statue has often been vandalized in the past.

The Little Mermaid was modelled on the eponymous fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and is one of Copenhagen's most popular sights.

Meanwhile many Danish buildings are flying the Ukrainian flag, as a show of solidarity with Kiev as the world marks a year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.