Russian official tried to steal a Ukrainian flag but got Punched instead

In Ankara, during a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), the Ukrainian MP Alexander Marikovsky attacked the secretary of the Russian delegation Valery Stavitsky with his fists. The Russian was subsequently hospitalized.

In this way, the Russian agency TASS reflected the contact between the two representatives - "unprovoked aggression of a Ukrainian against a Russian".

???? 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

The reason for Marikovsky's behavior is explained by a clip published on social networks by the Ukrainian journalist Denis Gorokhovsky, the Russian version of "Free Europe" reported.

The footage shows how Stavitsky sneaks up behind the "aggressor", pulls the Ukrainian flag from his hands and begins to retreat. Then the Ukrainian deputy pounces on the Russian and after a punch to the head, takes the flag back.

The Russian channels on "Telegram" claim that Marikovsky appeared with a flag behind the deputy of the State Duma Olga Timofeeva, while she was giving comments to journalists.

Earlier, during a session of the Parliamentary Assembly, representatives of Ukraine made an attempt to interrupt the speech of the Russian delegation by waving their flags. There was a verbal exchange between the participants in the meeting.