Slovakia PM Robert Fico undergoes 5-hour surgery, now stable

"At this point his condition is stabilised but is truly very serious, he will be in the intensive care unit," Miriam Lapunikova, the director of the hospital where Fico was admitted, said as quoted by India Today.

Fico was shot multiple times and rushed to a hospital with gruesome injuries on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting.

The attack has been condemned by EU leaders. Fico, a populist leader accused of having pro-Kremlin leanings, was elected the prime minister of the country last year.

Local reports say Fico was shot in the abdomen, arm, and leg. Pictures show police detaining a suspect.

Fico previously led the government from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2018.

Since his election last October, Fico has made a series of remarks that have strained relations between Slovakia and neighbouring Ukraine.

He has questioned Ukraine's sovereignty and called for compromise with Russia.

His has also sparked mass protests with controversial changes, including a media law that critics claim will undermine the impartiality of public television and radio.

According to media reports, police nabbed the shooter immediately.