A brawl broke out between Ukrainian MPs on Monday during a meeting of parliament faction leaders in Kyiv.
Oleh Lyashko, the leader of Radical Party, was on the receiving end of several punches thrown by angered Opposition Bloc leader Yuriy Boyko, after the former accused him of working with the Kremlin.
“Boyko and (Opposition Bloc lawmaker Sergiy) Lyovochkin travel to Moscow government cabinets to receive instructions from the Kremlin,” claimed Lyashko during the meeting.
“Instructions must be received from your own people, from Ukrainians. By the way, I also want to ask the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) why they visit Moscow and are not yet in jail?” he added, before Boyko jumped to his feet and aimed a punch at Lyashko’s face.
READ MORE: Bombing kills notorious warlord Arsen Pavlov in eastern Ukraine
Other lawmakers were quick to intervene and end the scuffle.
But Lyashko continued his tirade, pointing a finger at Boyko, who was seated next to him, leading to a second fistfight between the two.
This is not the first time Lyashko, known for his populist views, has been a part of violent scuffles in parliament.
The Opposition Bloc mainly unites lawmakers from the former Party of Regions, which supported Kremlin-backed ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich. He was toppled during the mass protests in 2013-2014.
Comments