A Ukrainian delegate punched an Russian delegate on the face at a meeting of Black Sea nations held in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday. His Ukrainian flag had been removed to prevent him from photobombing the video interview with Russia’s leading delegate.

Olesandr Marikovski uploaded a video on his Facebook page of him thumping a Russian and retrieving he blue and yellow flag.

The incident occurred in a hall of the Parliament building where the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation was holding its assembly.

Some Ukrainian delegates had fought with security officers earlier in the day who tried to remove them as they staged an anti-Russian protest. They shouted and held their flags near the Russian delegate’s leader as she attempted to address the assembly.

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The Turkish Parliament posted pictures of the disturbance on its website. Mustafa Sentop issued a harsh rebuke.

He said: “I condemn this behaviour that disrupts the peace that Turkey is trying establish.”

Russian drones continue to target the Ukrainian capital Kyiv while representatives of the 13 countries that make up the BSEC met Thursday.

Currently, there are no peace talks for the end of this war that has destroyed Ukrainian towns and cities and killed thousands.