LONDON, May 16, 2024 (BSS/TASS) - The life of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has survived an assassination attempt, is out of danger, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba said.

He told the BBC that the surgery was successful and the prime minister is not in a critical condition.

Fico was wounded in a shooting incident that happened after a government meeting in the city of Handlova in the western part of Slovakia.

He was hospitalized in a serious condition, with wounds in a limb, the chest and abdomen. The shooter was detained. According to the Slovak mass media, he is a 71-year-old writer Juraj Cintula, who carried out the assassination attempt on Fico over disagreed with the government's policy.

Fico adheres to a principled position on Ukraine, advocating an immediate ceasefire and peace talks. His government, which took office in October 2023, has halted military supplies to Kiev, but provides humanitarian assistance. The prime minister speaks out for normalizing relations with Russia.