Robert Fico, 59, was targeted by a gunman as he greeted supporters in Handlova, north-east of the capital Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting.
The Slovakian prime minister is no longer in a life-threatening condition and 'will survive' after he was shot five times in a 'politically motivated' assassination attempt, his deputy has said.
71-year-old Juraj Cintula, from Levice, could be seen waiting at a barrier for the PM to approach before drawing his weapon in footage published by Slovak outlet RTV Prievidza. Speaking prior to Fico's surgery, defence minister Robert Kalinak said there was 'no good news at the moment' and that he had placed trust 'in the hands of the medical specialists' as he appealed to the public to 'pray' for Fico's recovery.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also shared a message to X, relaying his shock following the gun attack. 'We strongly condemn this act of violence against our neighboring partner state's head of government. Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form, or sphere.
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