Slovakia prime minister shot, injured

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was wounded in a shooting and taken to a hospital Wednesday afternoon after a cabinet meeting in Handlova, according to local media.

The 59-year-old prime minister was hit once in the abdomen after four shots were fired outside Handlova’s House of Culture, where Fico was meeting with supporters, the reports said.

Police have detained a suspect, according to TA3, a local media TV station.

A helicopter was sent for the leader, emergency services said.

The left-wing populist prime minister returned to power for the fourth time last year after his party won the parliamentary election on a pro-Russian, anti-American platform.

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova denounced the attack.

“I’m shocked,” she said. “I wish Robert Fico a lot of strength in this critical moment and a quick recovery from this attack.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on X: “Shocked to hear this awful news. All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family.”

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.