Fistfight Breaks Out Between Ukrainian And Russian Officials At Black Sea Cooperation Summit

A video of a fistfight between a Ukrainian delegate and a Russian delegate at the Black Sea cooperation in Turkey has surfaced online.

The dust-up occurred after the Russian official’s secretary, Valery Stavitskiy, grabbed the Ukrainian flag from Oleksandr Marikovski during a photo op. The Ukrainian delegate was holding it behind Russia’s Olga Timofeeva.

Stavitskiy yanked the flag away from Marikovski and started to walk away. Marikovski ran after him and snatched the flag back. The video shows the two begin slapping and punching each other. 

Bystanders separated the two, and the Russian news agency TASS reported that the consul and a doctor came to check on Stavitskiy afterward. 

The video was authenticated to CBS News by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.N., Sergiy Kyslytsya, and was posted to Marikovski’s Facebook page. 

“Paws off our flag, paws off Ukraine, Russian filth!” the post was captioned.

The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation said on its website that it was created in 1992 and was aimed at working “towards peace, stability, and prosperity in the Black Sea region.” Members include countries such as Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and neighboring countries, such as Romania and Moldova. 

The scuffle happened a day before officials from Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey were scheduled to meet in Istanbul over a grain deal set to expire later this month.