Never-before-seen footage of the May 2024 assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has surfaced in a Finnish documentary titled “Slovakia in a Spiral of Violence”, aired on YLE on April 14, 2025, according to The Slovak Spectator.
The 50-minute documentary ends with disturbing clips showing the exact moment the gunman opened fire on Fico, his collapse to the ground, and the rapid response from his security detail. These scenes had never been publicly shown before and were filmed by a camerawoman from Radio Television Prievidza.
Station director Dana Reindlová withheld the footage from the public due to ethical concerns and only released it to Finnish filmmakers after Fico had recovered.
The documentary also revisits other violent incidents in Slovakia’s recent history, including the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and the Tepláreň café shooting in Bratislava, which targeted the LGBTQ+ community.
Fico’s Injuries Still Not Fully Known
To this day, the extent of Fico’s injuries remains unclear. He was shot by 71-year-old Juraj Cintula on May 15, 2024, but no official medical report has been released. Recently, Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák, a close ally of Fico and member of the SMER – Social Democracy party, displayed blood-stained clothes belonging to Fico, calling him a “Terminator who doesn’t give up.”
Kaliňák admitted he personally transported the clothing from the hospital to the police in his car, a move that has drawn heavy criticism. It remains unclear whether Fico authorized the release of those images.
In a recent parliamentary session, Fico stated that he would undergo another surgery, lashing out at opposition MPs who he claimed were “betting on the timing of [his] death.”
