Shafaq News/ A Ukrainian journalist punched a pro-Russian politician in the face on live television during in a debate over Vladimir Putin.

Tensions boiled over on air between politician Nestor Shufrych, a member of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform – For Life party, and journalist Yuriy Butusov during an appearance on the talk show Freedom of Speech.

When asked whether Mr Putin was a murderer and a criminal, Mr Shufrych refused to condemn the Kremlin, dodging the question and instead answering: “Let Ukraine’s authorities deal with that.”

Also part of the debate was former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, who criticised the response and told the audience: “There’s a Russian agent right here in the studio.”

However, the argument escalated further when Mr Butusov walked over to Mr Shufrych and punched him in the face.

Mr Shufrych took to his feet to fight back, this resulted in the pair ending up on the floor as other guests tried to separate them.

Mr Butusov then trapped Mr Shufrych in a headlock at one point before the two men were eventually pulled apart.

After the fight had finished, the debate resumed.

The news comes as tensions between Russia and Ukraine increase, with UK prime minister Boris Johnson saying that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be the biggest war in Europe since 1945.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme, Mr Johnsonr said: “I’m afraid that is what the evidence points to, and there is no burnishing it, no hiding it.

“The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun.

“That’s what our American friends think and you’re seeing these provocations now in Donbas - these explosions and so on - that we’ve been warning about for a long time.”

Source: The Independent

Nestor Shufrych, a pro-Russian politician, and Yuriy Butusov, an editor of CensorNet, got into a fight.. pic.twitter.com/h6deUm1lQx

— Geo_monitor (@colonelhomsi) February 18, 2022