By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A Ukrainian member of Parliament Oleksandr Marikovskyi, and a representative of Russia on Thursday engaged in a brawl during a conference in Turkey’s capital Ankara.
This came after the unidentified Russian representative snatched the Ukrainian flag from Marikovskyi hands, leading to a free for all.
The incident reportedly took place during the 61st General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) where countries of the Black Sea region gathered to discuss ways to develop multilateral and bilateral ties on the economic, technological, and social fronts, Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
The clip was posted by Jason Jay Smart, a special correspondent for the Kyiv Post on Twitter, and a political adviser, on Twitter. It has gained more than 3 million views as of Friday morning.
Marikovskyi also posted the clip on his Facebook account. Newsweek also reported on the incident, citing Marikovskyi’s post.
“He really deserved that punch. Delegate from #Russia sparks scuffle at Black Sea Economic Community event in #Ankara, #Turkey, after forcibly taking the flag of #Ukraine from MP Marikovskyi’s hands,” tweeted advocate Ibrahim Zeidan.
During the summit, the video of the unnamed Russian representative can be seen approaching Marikovskyi, who was holding his country’s flag.
The Russian delegate forcibly took the flag from Marikovskyi’s hands, but Marikovskyi retaliated by pushing and punching the representative in the face to reclaim the flag.
Conflict between Russia and Ukraine began February last year after Moscow invaded Kyiv. The fight had now spread to major cities such as Kherson, Odesa, and Bakhmut.
Moscow on Thursday accused the US of masterminding a drone attack on the Kremlin, a charge denied by Washington, and said Ukrainian sabotage on Russian territory had reached “unprecedented momentum”.
