SLOVAK pro-Putin Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting for his life after he was killed in a brazen assassination attempt.
The terrifying video was taken at the moment when the politician (59) was shot five times by the alleged 71-year-old assailant.
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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times outside a cabinet meeting and his condition was described as ‘extremely serious’ Credit: Reuters
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The moment when the prime minister was shot five times Credit: RTV Prievidza
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Fico was quickly wrapped in a car after being shot in the stomachCredit: Reuters
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The suspected attacker was wrestled to the ground by passers-by and security guards Credit: Reuters
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Fico was later airlifted to hospital and seen being carried on a stretcherCredit: AP
One bullet hit Fica in the abdomen, and Defense Minister Robert Kalinak said his condition was “extremely serious.”
Kalinak said that the prime minister has a “serious trauma” and that the “situation is bad”.
Fico is currently undergoing surgery.
The terrifying footage captured the moment shots rang out as people screamed and Fitz’s bodyguards jumped over barriers to pin down the shooter.
Moments later, the suspected killer was filmed being subdued and taken into custody by security forces and bystanders.
The incident happened in the town of Handlova, some 100 miles northeast of the capital Bratislava, where the pro-Russian prime minister had come to meet with supporters.
Local media identified the suspect as Juraj C, a 71-year-old Slovak from the town of Lavice.
The footage then shows Fic being carried and then shoved into a car, accompanied by his bodyguards, and quickly driven away.
After “urgent” treatment in Handlova, the prime minister was then transferred by helicopter to Banska Bystrica because it would take him “too long” to reach the capital, according to a statement from his office.
The motive for the shooting is not yet known.
The witness told the Dennik N newspaper that she heard three to four shots and saw Fico fall to the ground with wounds on his head and chest.
President Zuzana Caputova condemned the “brutal and merciless” attack on the prime minister.
“The police detained the attacker and will provide more information as soon as possible,” she added, calling the shooting of her political opponent “an attack on democracy.”
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The politician was filmed being dragged into his car and rushed to hospitalCredit: Twitter / @BNONews
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Security rushed to grab the attacker and disarm himCredit: RTV Prievidza
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The suspected attacker was seen with a bloody head while being detainedCredit: Reuters
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The security guard drew his gun as Fic was led to safety. Credit: Twitter / @BNONews
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The moment the suspect fell to the groundCredit: Twitter
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “shocked” by the “terrible news” that his Slovakian counterpart had been shot.
“All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the assassination attempt on the leader of his neighboring country “terrible”.
He said: “Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, shape or sphere.”
Elsewhere, there were shocked reactions from all over Europe and sharp condemnations of political violence.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called the shooting “an attack on the very idea of democracy,” while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he was both “shocked and horrified.”
Last September, Fico returned to power in Slovakia for the third time as head of the populist-nationalist coalition.
But his first few months as prime minister proved controversial.
In January, he halted military aid to Ukraine, insisting that life in Kiev is “absolutely normal” and there is no war.
He asked: “You seriously think there is a war in Kiev? You are joking, please, I hope you are not serious.
“Go there and you will see that there is normal life in the city, absolutely normal life.”
Fitz’s “Not a single round” campaign call for Ukraine appealed to voters in the NATO nation of 5.5 million, where only a minority believe Russia is to blame for the war in Ukraine.
During a career spanning three decades, Fico wove between pro-European mainstream and nationalist anti-NATO and anti-American positions.
However, in recent years he has taken a more extreme position, citing growing anti-Western and pro-Russian sentiment in his country.
Fico, who analysts believe was inspired by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said he had Slovakia’s interests at heart and wanted the war to end.
Thousands have repeatedly rallied in the capital and across Slovakia to protest Ficos policies, including an unpopular media law that critics say undermines impartiality.
At a press conference after the shooting, parliamentarian Lubos Blaha from Fico’s Smer party lashed out at his critics.
“You, the liberal media and progressive politicians are to blame. Robert Fico is fighting for his life because of your hatred,” said Blaha.
Who is Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico?
Author: Ellie Doughty
SLOVAK Prime Minister Robert Fico won his country’s September 2023 election on a platform of pro-Russian and anti-Western sentiment.
It was his fourth term as prime minister at the head of the divisive Smer party – which means “Direction”.
The controversial leader, whose policies have been met with protests across the country, is a supporter of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin.
In January 2024, he said that the only way to end the Ukrainian war would be for the brave forces of Zelensky to give part of their country to the Russian invaders.
He also opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership and said the nation was “not an independent and sovereign state.”
Fico then said: “What do they expect, that the Russians will leave Crimea, Donbas and Lugansk? It’s unreal.”
Before taking power in December, he promised to stop sending weapons to Ukraine.
He also assured voters that he would block any attempts by Kiev to join NATO and that he would oppose sanctions against Russia.
In a shocking claim, Fico said that Ukraine joining the European military alliance would be “the basis for World War III, nothing else”.
Ill, Fico claimed that Ukraine – which has been battling Russia’s illegal invasion for more than two years – is “one of the most corrupt nations in the world”.
In stark contrast to the war-torn experiences of countless Ukrainians, Fico once declared: “there is no war in Kyiv”, describing life in the capital as “absolutely normal”.
He also promised to implement a tough stance against migration, non-governmental organizations and campaigned against the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
Notorious for tirades against journalists, Fico previously named his “enemies” as a major television network, two national newspapers and an online news outlet.
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Fico is airlifted to hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries Credit: AP
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His bodyguards quickly came to his aid after four shots were firedCredit: Reuters
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The alleged suspect is said to be a 71-year-old SlovakCredit: Reuters
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Locals were pictured fleeing the scene after gunshots rang outCredit: Twitter
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Source: HIS Education