DHAKA: Russian state media and ruling party officials on Sunday warned of armed marauders in Ukraine and urged the public to stand firmly behind president Vladimir Putin on possible military action.

State media controlled by the Kremlin launched a full-scale propaganda operation with footage aimed at discrediting the new Kiev authorities and rousing anger at alleged outrages perpetrated against the Russian-speaking population.

Fanning suspicions of international involvement in the Kiev protests, news channel Russia 24 aired an apparent confession from a young Russian who claimed he was paid to serve as a sniper with opposition forces.

‘There are mercenaries there... they come from very different countries: the United States and Germany, they come wearing identical military uniforms,’ he alleged, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1711 HRS, MAR 02, 2014