A fight broke out after a Ukrainian delegate punched a Russian delegate in the face during a gathering of Black Sea nations in Turkey on Thursday.
The scuffle happened after Olesandr Marikovski’s Ukrainian flag was snatched away to stop him photobombing a video interview with Russia‘s lead delegate.
Mr Marikovski posted a video of himself thumping the Russian and retrieving the blue and yellow flag on his Facebook page.
The incident took place in a hallway of the parliament building in Ankara, where the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) assembly was being held.
Earlier in the day, some Ukrainian delegates fought with security officers who had tried to pull them away as they staged a protest, shouting and holding their flags next to Russia‘s lead delegate as she tried to address the assembly.
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 behaviour that disrupts the peaceful environment that Turkey is trying to establish,” he said.
