A small group of people gathered outside the Russian embassy on Saturday in support of the country’s invasion of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin.

A few dozen people waving Russian flags stood outside the Russian embassy in Nicosia, using the motto “Putin Great Leader”.

According to state broadcaster Cybc, they were mostly Russian nationals but the group included some Cypriots.

The participants held placards reading ‘Russia, save the planet’, ‘No to Nato in Ukraine and Cyprus’, and ‘Russia is telling the truth’.

Putin did not start this war, but he will end it, they told the state broadcaster, also saying that the war is not between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and Nato.

They also decried sanctions against Russia, calling for the Cypriot government to not participate.