Ukrainian lawmaker punches Russian representative after having country’s flag snatched from hands in Turkish parliament

During a diplomatic conference at the Turkish parliament in Ankara on Thursday, 4, a Russian representative snatched the Ukrainian flag from the hands of a Ukrainian deputy. In response, the politician reacted with a punch, resulting in a physical confrontation between the two.

The confusion occurred during a meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation of the Black Sea (OCEMN) and was aimed at establishing an agreement between Russia and Ukraine for the use of the Black Sea.

The Russian representative involved has not been identified. The Ukrainian deputy involved in the confrontation is called Oleksandr Marikovski. He is a member of the party “Servant of the People” (“The Servant of the People”), the same party as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The incident was caught on video and only ended when the Ukrainian MP managed to retrieve his flag.

The row in the Turkish parliament comes as conflict in Ukraine escalates, which has been going on for 14 months. Last Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a two-drone attack on the Kremlin. In the aftermath, Putin also accused the US of being behind the attack. Both Ukraine and the US have denied the allegations.