MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, March 28 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, March 27): NEW POSITIVE PCR TESTS: 5,560 Positive PCR tests in total: 1,687,425 Daily PCR tests: 11,475 NEW POSITIVE ANTIGEN TESTS: 411 Positive antigen tests in total: 727,380 Daily antigen tests: 2,694 NEW DEATHS: 19 Deaths in total: 19,270 BRATISLAVA - The Slovak border police has provided humanitarian aid to Ukrainian state border service in the city of Chop, as part of the 'Secure and Inclusive Border Between Slovakia and Ukraine' project financed under the EU grants and Slovakia's state budget, police reports on a social network. The aid includes two tonnes worth of sleeping bags, tourist tents, first aid kits, groceries, disinfection, hygienic items, disposable dishes, power banks and batteries. The Interior Ministry also plans to provide further humanitarian aid, particularly thermo clothing, tourist footwear, foods, blankets and other items in the near future. BRATISLAVA - The Slovak Armed Forces are deploying Slovak surface-to-air defence systems alongside the eastern border, TASR was told by Slovak Armed Forces spokesperson Stefan Zemanovic on Sunday. Zemanovic pointed out that the Patriot surface-to-air missile system is already protecting the strategic region of central Slovakia. All the batteries to be provided to Slovakia by its allies will be deployed in such a way so as to have their defence radius cover the largest amount of Slovakia's territory. BRATISLAVA - Consignments of anti-tank guided missile system Spike LR2, procured under the previous government, have already arrived to Slovakia, TASR was told by Defence Ministry spokesperson Martina Koval Kakascikova on Sunday. The commission worth €18.3 million, VAT-included, contained 100 anti-tank guided missiles, ten launchers and the necessary logistic material. "Thanks to its autonomous nature and independence, the anti-tank missile system Spike LR2 can be integrated into weapons systems of military vehicles and is also suitable for use by infantry," stated Koval Kakascikova. BRATISLAVA - Chief of Slovak diplomacy Ivan Korcok (SaS nominee) held a series of bilateral talks in Qatar on potential supplies of liquefied gas from the Persian Gulf countries and took part in the Doha Forum 2022 event, TASR learnt from the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry press department on the same day. "We agreed to hold further talks, so that Slovakia might gradually rid itself of its current one-sided dependency on the supplies of Russian gas," underlined Korcok. zel