Slovakia’s pro-Putin prime minister is recovering in hospital after being shot in an assassination attempt that set off alarms across Europe.
Robert Fico was signaled to meet a crowd of supporters before a gunman leaned down and fired five shots at point-blank range, sending the divisive politician to the ground.
Bodyguards pounced on the would-be killer as Fico was taken to a government limousine that sped away before being airlifted to hospital.
There was confusion overnight about the prime minister’s condition, with Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba telling the BBC on Wednesday night that he was confident Fico would “survive”, and local media reporting that he had no longer undergone surgery and was stable.
Other ministers, however, insisted throughout the night that Fico remained in critical condition.
Police arrested poet Juraj Cintula, 71, as a suspect in the shooting in Handlova, central Slovakia.
Graphic showing the events of the day after the shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Robert Fico was signaled to meet a crowd of supporters before a gunman leaned down and fired five shots at point-blank range, sending the divisive politician to the ground.
Bodyguards pounced on the would-be killer as Fico was taken to a government limousine that sped away before being airlifted to hospital.
Vladimir Putin last night described the attack as a “monstrous crime” and there are fears that he will now exploit the assassination attempt on his populist friend who has staunchly opposed support for Ukraine. Comes as:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled trips abroad as Russia advances toward the country’s second city, Kharkiv;
- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Georgia once again after the “pro-Russian” government forced the passage of “Kremlin-inspired” legislation;
- The alleged gunman made a “confession” in custody in which he blamed the attack on Fico’s crackdown on free media;
- World leaders, including Joe Biden, were quick to condemn the shooting.
Russian President Mr Putin, who arrived in Beijing for a state visit last night, said: ‘I know Robert Fico is a brave and strong-spirited man. “I very much hope that these qualities will help him cope with this difficult situation.”
The shooter is believed to be 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula.
His condition was critical after surgery last night when police said they had detained poet Juraj Cintula, 71, as a suspect in the shooting in Handlova, central Slovakia.
Last night, Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former commanding officer of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, the UK’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense unit, told The Mail: “There is a lot at stake in Europe and the threat of a broader war. The war only benefits Putin.
‘This is another wake-up call for the West. If we ignore this latest threat to Western security, the chances of being drawn into a wider war in Europe are demonstrably greater.’
Witnesses said Fico responded to a supporter shouting ‘Robo, come’ and went to shake their hands after leaving a Slovak government meeting shortly after 3pm. Harrowing footage then shows the alleged gunman looking both ways before lunging forward with a gun in his right arm and shooting the 59-year-old prime minister.
A shocked bystander said: “I was going to shake his hand, when the shots rang out it almost deafened me.”
Local journalists interviewed the suspect’s son, who witnessed the attack and was shocked. “I have no idea what my father was doing, what he was planning and why it happened,” he said.
The son said Cintula did not suffer from any mental health problems and had never mentioned the murder of a politician. However, the alleged gunman’s background sparked more questions last night. The photographs appeared to show that he was affiliated with a pro-Russian Slovenskí Branci militia.
Fico was shot in the arm and stomach and his injuries were so serious that there was no time to transport him to the capital, Bratislava.
Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok confirmed that he was conscious after major surgery last night, but had suffered “serious bodily trauma”.
Estok warned that police would “act” against anyone who supports online murder and also vowed to take huge security measures.
Fico is critical of immigration and LGBT issues and has been relentless in his support of Russia in its war against Ukraine.
He has reversed the previous Slovak government’s stance on the Ukraine conflict and called for an end to military aid to kyiv.
The prime minister was airlifted to a nearby hospital after suffering gunshot wounds to the arm and stomach.
He has also become a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another rejector within NATO and the European Union.
Last night, given his opposition to the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, there was speculation online suggesting the shooting may have been ordered by kyiv.
The leader of Slovakia’s pro-European, pro-NATO opposition party was forced to publicly deny that he had anything to do with the assassination attempt. Fico has also sparked fury with his leftist Direction party’s plans to give the government full control of public radio and television. The alleged gunman made a “confession” in custody in which he blamed this repression for the alleged murder attempt.
Russia is expected to try to politicize the shooting by suggesting that politicians in the EU and NATO states who dare to challenge the orthodoxy surrounding support for Ukraine are no longer safe.
Former chairman of the House of Commons defense committee Tobias Ellwood said: “As Slovakia becomes increasingly threatened by Russian influence, this tragic incident could easily be used as justification to introduce draconian restrictions similar to the ones we see now in Hungary and Belarus.
Western nations condemned the attack on Fico. US President Joe Biden said it was a “horrible act of violence”.
President Zelensky added: “We strongly condemn this act of violence against the head of government of our neighboring state.” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said: “These acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy.”