Man who shot Slovak PM may belong to pro-Russian militarised group – photos
Juraj Cintula, a 71-year-old man who reportedly shot Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, may be connected with Slovenskí Branci, a pro-Russian militarised group.
Source: European Pravda, citing investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi
Details: Panyi tweeted two screenshots of Facebook posts by Slovenskí Branci which show the same man who made the attempt on Fico’s life.
‼️🇷🇺Wow. Looks like Slovak PM Robert Fico's reported assailant, writer Juraj Cintula, was associated with pro-Russian paramilitary group Slovenskí Branci (SB). Their leader was even trained by Russian ex-Spetsnaz soldiers. Read more on @VSquare_Project 👇https://t.co/2IzSHwq54d pic.twitter.com/M9fgp186R3
— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) May 15, 2024
Slovenskí Branci is an unregistered paramilitary group that has been active in Slovakia since 2012. Journalists have reported that the organisation cooperated with the Slovak branch of the Night Wolves biker gang, and its members were trained by former members of Russian special forces (Spetsnaz).
Slovenskí Branci officially announced their dissolution in October 2022, without specifying the reasons why.
Background:
- On 15 May, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot after a government meeting and taken to hospital.
- Eyewitnesses say the prime minister approached some people who had greeted him, and that is when several shots were fired. The government leader then fell to the ground.
- An official statement regarding the attempt on his life has been posted on Fico’s Facebook account. The post states that his condition is "life-threatening".
Support UP or become our patron!
