Interior Minister Rejects Criticism of Slovak Police Over Ukraine Operation

Bratislava, 16 July (TASR) - Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) has rejected what he described as the “denigration of the Slovak police,” following a joint law enforcement operation by Czech, Slovak, and Ukrainian authorities on Ukrainian soil. „I strongly urge everyone, including our Czech colleagues, to exercise restraint in their statements and to show respect, humility, and deference,” Sutaj Estok stated on social media. On Wednesday morning, Slovak police reported that, together with Czech and Ukrainian counterparts, they had conducted a joint operation in the city of Dnipro, during which a Ukrainian national was detained. Czech police later confirmed the operation, noting that it involved the National Centre for Combating Terrorism, Extremism, and Cybercrime, as well as intelligence officers from the Security Information Service (BIS). The Czech police said they had detained a young man suspected of making bomb threats. BIS added that the suspect was likely financed by Russia and clarified he had actually been apprehended on Tuesday. mf