Ukraine war: Scuffle breaks out at summit in Turkey after Russian delegate takes down Ukrainian flag
As a Russian delegate was giving an interview, a Ukrainian member unfurled his national flag behind her, leading to a fellow Russian grabbing it and walking off in anger.
Fighting broke out at a summit in Turkey after a Russian delegate pulled down a Ukrainian flag.
It happened at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), when Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Marikovski unfurled his national flag behind a member of the Russian delegation, Olga Timofeeva, as she was being interviewed.
Another member of the Russian team, named as Valery Stavitsky, then pulled the flag from the hands of Mr Marikovski.
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Immediately afterwards, footage shows the two men involved in a physical altercation, with Mr Marikovski pushing and hitting Mr Stavitsky as he tries to wrestle the flag from him.
Others then get involved to pull the men apart.
Mr Marikovski later posted the video to his Facebook page, while media reports suggest Mr Stavitsky was taken to hospital for a check-up.
Members of the Ukrainian delegation had earlier unfurled their flag behind Ms Timofeeva while she spoke at the conference.
The event is part of the ongoing dispute over grain shipments, with a Russian blockade of Black Sea ports hindering Ukraine’s important exports of wheat since the outbreak of war last year.
A deal was struck last year, but Russia has a list of demands it wants to be met in order to continue with the Black Sea pact, which the UN said helps tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
