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SCOTLAND has become the target of a Russian invasion – with Moscow TV station Sputnik News set to make a landing in our capital city.

The opening of a first British hub for the news service – a state mouthpiece for Vladimir Putin’s regime – in Edinburgh is being viewed as a subtle show of force by his government.

As East-West relations continue to grow frostier, Sputnik say their aim is to combat the “US-led world media”.

Scots may even have the chance to switch sides in the so-called “New Cold War”, with the agency eager to have non-Russians fronting their radio, video and digital output.

But the takeover doesn’t appear to have city leaders in Edinburgh fretting, with a council spokesman conjuring up some spin that former Russian Communist Party newspaper Pravda would have been proud of.

He said: “The arrival of Sputnik News is yet another example of Edinburgh’s broad international appeal.”

It’s not the first time Scotland has been at the centre of the tit-for-tat battle between Russia and the West.

Earlier this month, the Record told how a US Trident nuclear missile submarine had slipped into Faslane naval base on the Clyde.

The presence of the USS Wyoming – armed with 24 ballistic missiles – was seen by military experts as a clear warning to Putin over his country’s military manoeuvres.

Russia watchers have warned viewers to be sceptical about Sputnik – in particular their coverage of the Kremlin’s harsh policies on gay rights and Russia’s role in Ukraine’s bitter civil war.

And they see their presence here as a cynical bid to encourage a hostile view of Westminster and Washington.

A source said: “This is not good news for Scotland. Scottish politicians should keep their distance.”