VIDEO: Russian Delegate Punched By Ukrainian Member After Snatching Ukrainian Flag At Event
There was a scuffle at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Ankara, the Turkish capital on Thursday after a Ukrainian delegate punched his Russian counterpart.
In a video posted on social media and seen by SaharaReporters, the Russian delegate ran up to the Ukrainian delegate spreading a flag of his country and making a statement He then grabbed the flag, which led to a brief struggle.
The Ukrainian punched the Russian representative several times in the face before the scuffle was broken up.
The Russian delegate has been taken to the hospital as a precaution, the Russian embassy’s spokesperson Irina Kasimova told TASS.
“A Russian delegation member was attacked by a member of the Ukrainian delegation. Our staff member is currently at the hospital where he is being examined; he has also received consular assistance,” she said.
The embassy stated that it would “properly draw the Turkish authorities’ attention to this outrageous incident.”
Reuters reports that the incident occurred at the 61st PABSEC General Assembly.
Olesandr Marikovski posted a video of himself thumping the Russian and retrieving the blue and yellow flag on his Facebook page
🥊 In Ankara 🇹🇷, during the events of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Community, the representative of Russia 🇷🇺 tore the flag of Ukraine 🇺🇦 from the hands of a 🇺🇦 Member of Parliament.
The 🇺🇦 MP then punched the Russian in the face. pic.twitter.com/zUM8oK4IyN
— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) May 4, 2023
Acting head of Russia’s permanent delegation to the PABSEC Olga Timofeyeva, who is also taking part in the Ankara meeting, filmed how the incident started and showed the tense atmosphere at the hotel to a Russian TV host.
Earlier on Thursday, members of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) tried to disrupt the Russian delegation’s address at the PABSEC meeting, spreading out Ukraine’s flag and a black-red-blue tricolour behind the delegation’s members.
Pictures of the disturbance were posted by the Turkish parliament on its website, and Mustafa Sentop, the parliament’s head, issued a stiff rebuke.
“I condemn this behavior that disrupts the peaceful environment that Turkey is trying to establish,” he said.
https://twitter.com/Spriter99880/status/1654179031028252687?s=20
