Assault on Ukrainian volunteers in Prague stirs global concern

Ukrainians from "Pražský Maidan" peacefully demonstrate their support for Ukraine every Saturday in downtown Prague. They also collect donations to aid the army in its fight against the Russian aggressor. This time, however, an incident occurred during the demonstration.

Volunteers from the organization posted a video on social media showing how they were attacked by a group of Putin supporters. There is a tussle between the volunteers and the Russians. Objects such as an umbrella and a handbag are also used in the scuffle.

The aggression was directed, among others, towards a Ukrainian volunteer who was recording the entire incident. One of the Russian women attacks her both physically and verbally, at one point knocking the phone out of the volunteer's hand. "To be honest, I barely remember how it all looked and at exactly what moment they knocked the phone from my hands (after which I was already furious)," writes a Pražský Maidan" activist online.

On Thursday and Friday, an informal summit of NATO foreign ministers took place in the Czech capital. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attended the meeting. The talks focused on the situation in Ukraine and the hybrid threat from Russia.

"I can tell you that in the meeting of foreign ministers today, virtually every Ally was seized with this intensification of Russia’s hybrid attacks," Antony Blinken told journalists after the meeting concluded. "The Kremlin’s also been intensifying its hybrid attacks against frontline states (...), setting fire and sabotaging supply warehouses, disregarding sea borders and demarcations in the Baltics, mounting more and more cyber attacks, continuing to spread disinformation. (...) We know what they’re up to, and we will respond both individually and collectively as necessary." AFP quotes.