Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk was pulled from his podium during Friday’s parliamentary proceedings and hoisted up by his crotch by a member of an opposition faction. This prompted a very physical brawl that would last for several minutes as more and more lawmakers got involved in the scuffle.

On Friday Yatseniuk was defending his record during his year-end report to the governing body.

“I took all the responsibility for the most unpopular steps in our country which no one has taken for twenty years. No one,” Yatseniuk said. “And when I took this position I knew what would happen to my rating. I knew this. I came here not for my personal political rating but to conduct reforms and for the rating of our country.”

Yatseniuk’s approval rating is about 2 per cent.

His comments led Oleh Barna, a member of President Petro Poroshenko’s parliamentary bloc, to sarcastically present Yatseniuk with red roses before he hoisted the Prime Minister up by his waist and groin.

Members of the Yatseniuk’s bloc appeared to be enraged as they ripped Barna away from the prime minister. This led to a widespread physical confrontation that appeared to include dozens of members of parliament.

Story by Julie Zeveloff and editing by Andrew Fowler

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