Ukraine flag appears on big screen during Putin visit to Kazakhstan
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Ukraine's flag - with its horizontal bands of blue and yellow - briefly appeared late on Nov 27 instead of the Russian white, blue and red tricolor on a screen located on one of Astana's main thoroughfares.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ASTANA – The Kazakh police are investigating the brief appearance of the Ukrainian flag on a large LED screen in the capital city, Astana, during a visit there by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry said on Nov 28.
Ukraine's flag – with its horizontal bands of blue and yellow – briefly appeared late on Nov 27 instead of the Russian white, blue and red tricolour on a screen located on one of Astana's main thoroughfares.
Mr Putin was already in the city at the time, and the screen was soon switched off, but images and videos of the incident quickly circulated online.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement it was looking into all possible versions, including a technical glitch and a hacker attack.
According to an opinion survey conducted in 2023, a majority of Kazakhs are neutral regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, but among the rest, supporters of Ukraine significantly outnumber those of Russia.
And with Russia being one of Kazakhstan's biggest trading partners, issues in its economy often spill over. On Nov 28, Kazakhstan's tenge currency fell to an all-time low against the US dollar after a sharp weakening of the Russian rouble. REUTERS
