Russian flag painted on base of Denmark's "Little Mermaid" statue

A statue of 'The Little Mermaid' is seen, created by the sculptor Edvard Eriksen and modeled after his wife, Eline, with the Russian flag painted on the stone she sits on, in Langelinie, Copenhagen, Denmark March 2, 2023. Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS

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.