Horrifying footage captured the moment the politician, 59, was shot at five times after a cabinet meeting in the central town of Handlova, by an alleged 71-year-old attacker.

At least one bullet struck Fico in his stomach, according to officials. His injuries are said to be life-threatening.

In a press conference at 4am AET, Robert Kaliňák, Slovakia’s minister of defence, said Fico was “still fighting for his life” as her undergoes emergency surgery.

Kalinak described the leader’s condition as “really serious”, adding that the “situation is bad”.

Minister of Interior Matus Sutaj Estok confirmed Fico was shot “five times” and said that the assassination attempt was politically motivated and the decision was “born right after the presidential election”.

Dramatic footage showed Fico being carried and then bungled into a car, flanked by his bodyguards, and driven away at speed, The Sun reports.

A witness told news outlet Dennik N that she heard three to four shots and saw Fico fall to the ground with wounds to his head and chest.

Outgoing Slovak President Zuzana Caputova told reporters that “police have detained the attacker”.

“I am shocked, we are all shocked by the terrible and heinous attack,” she added.

Slovak television showed footage of a middle-aged man in jeans being handcuffed on the ground.

The incident took place in the town of Handlova, about 100 miles northeast of the capital of Bratislava, where Fico had come to meet with supporters.

“Today, after the government meeting in Handlova, there was an assassination attempt” on Fico, the government said in a post on social media.

“He is currently being transported by helicopter to Banska Bystrica in a life-threatening condition, because it would take too long to get to Bratislava due to the necessity of an acute intervention.”

Fico initially received treatment at a hospital in the town of Handlova before he was taken to the capital Bratislava, the hospital director told AFP on Wednesday.

“Mr Fico was brought into our hospital and he was treated at our vascular surgery clinic,” hospital director Marta Eckhardtova said, adding: “The prime minister was later transported from our hospital, he is on his way to Bratislava”.

Slovakia’s Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok said the country is “experiencing the worst day of its democracy” following an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico.

“For the first time in the 31 years of our democratic sovereign republic, someone has decided to express a political opinion not in an election but with a gun on the street,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

“It is a terrible disappointment for me personally, how our joint effort to belong to the civilised world of the most advanced countries went in vain,” the minister added.

Several world leaders also condemned the attack.

US President Biden Joe described it as a “horrific act of violence” and said the US embassy is in “close touch” with the Slovakian government and is “ready to assist”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said there “can be no justification for this monstrous crime” and, in a telegram to Slovak president Zuzana Caputova, said Robert Fico was “a courageous and strong-minded man”.

Posting on X, French president Emmanuel Macron “strongly condemns” the attack on Robert Fico and said his “thoughts and solidarity are with him, his family and the people of Slovakia.

Fico has previously drawn criticism from the West for his increasingly pro-Russian views which have seen him at odds with those of fellow NATO-member countries.

More to come.