MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 22 February 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 21 February): TURCEK/BRATISLAVA – A train struck a brown bear in Turcek near Horna Stubna (Zilina region) overnight into Saturday, it follows from a social media post by Deputy Environment Minister Filip Kuffa. According to the deputy minister, the bear weighed 162 kilograms. The collision between the bear and the train was also confirmed to TASR by the railway ZSSK passenger carrier. ZSSK spokesperson Jan Bacek detailed that the incident occurred on Friday (20 February) at 6.50 pm during the journey of a passenger train travelling from Prievidza to Vrutky, on the Horna Stubna–Dolna Stubna junction section. "The incident did not affect the smooth operation of rail transport and did not require any traffic restrictions. Neither passengers nor train staff were injured," Bacek added. BRATISLAVA - The opposition criticises Saturday's statement by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) that he will ask Slovak companies to halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not restore oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia by Monday (23 February). Ivan Korcok, a member of the Progressive Slovakia's presidium, described the move as cynicism without empathy. MP Roman Mikulec ('Slovakia'-For the People) said Fico was motivated solely by money. "Incredible. Robert Fico is threatening Ukraine with cutting off emergency electricity supplies because it has not restored the transit of Russian oil disrupted after Russian attacks. He is threatening a country whose energy infrastructure Russia is systematically destroying, where people have been surviving for months without heat and light, in freezing conditions and on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. And all this just days before the fourth anniversary of this senseless war. This is not sovereign foreign policy - it is cynicism without empathy," Korcok said in a statement by Progressive Slovakia. He called on the prime minister not to misuse the governance of Slovakia to blackmail civilians freezing in the dark. According to Mikulec, it is misguided to think that Ukrainians attacked the Druzhba pipeline themselves. "It is the Russians who are attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Fico is interested in nothing but money. The Croats are able to supply oil to Slovakia via the Adria pipeline without problems, but not Russian oil," the opposition MP posted on social media. He claimed that Fico must do what the Kremlin orders him to do, "and he is harming the whole of Slovakia and Europe". He added that if Fico wanted to, Slovakia would have enough oil from the Adria pipeline. The Freedom and Solidarity party also criticised the prime minister's remarks. "If Fico cuts off emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine in the current situation, he will be suspected of committing crimes against humanity," the opposition party wrote on social media. Earlier in the day, Fico accused Zelenskyy of acting maliciously towards Slovakia because Bratislava does not "support the war". According to Ukraine, oil supplies to Slovakia and Hungary were halted as a result of a Russian attack on the Druzhba pipeline on 27 January. On Wednesday (18 February), after a cabinet meeting, the prime minister accused President Zelenskyy of political blackmail and interfering in the election campaign in Hungary. Slovakia's only refinery, Slovnaft, is currently securing alternative supplies. In the meantime, it is to produce oil products from state reserves released by the government. Some 250,000 tonnes of oil are available, with the refinery operating in a limited mode. An oil emergency has been declared in Slovakia. BRATISLAVA – If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not restore oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia by Monday (23 February), Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) will ask Slovak companies to halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. The prime minister announced this on social media on Saturday. "If oil supplies to Slovakia are not restored on Monday, I will ask SEPS to stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. In January 2026 alone, these emergency supplies needed to stabilise the Ukrainian energy grid were twice as high as for the whole of 2025," he said, referring to the state transmission system operator SEPS. Fico accused Zelenskyy of acting maliciously towards Slovakia because Bratislava does not "support the war". "The Ukrainian president does not want to understand our peaceful approach and, because we do not support the war, he is behaving maliciously towards Slovakia. First, he stopped gas flows to Slovakia, causing us annual damage of 500 million euros. Now he has halted oil flows, which is causing us further damage and logistical difficulties," he claimed. According to Ukraine, oil supplies to Slovakia and Hungary were suspended following a Russian attack on the Druzhba pipeline on 27 January. On Wednesday (18 February), after a cabinet session, Fico accused Zelenskyy of political blackmail and interfering in the election campaign in Hungary. Slovakia's only refinery, Slovnaft, is currently securing alternative supplies. In the meantime, it is producing oil products from state reserves released by the government. A total of 250,000 tonnes of oil is available. The refinery is operating in a limited mode. An oil emergency has been declared in Slovakia. BRATISLAVA - Police in the Bratislava region have so far recorded no injuries or property damage with respect to Saturday's earthquake that struck western Slovakia. Residents are not in immediate danger, police said on social media. "During this afternoon we recorded short-term earth tremors in the Bratislava region. In this context, we have so far not registered any incident involving harm to the health or property of residents. At this moment, there is no immediate danger to residents,” police stated. Seismologists recorded an earthquake measuring between 4.3 and 4.5 magnitude near Bratislava and Samorin (Trnava region) on Friday afternoon. The Interior Ministry confirmed the information. No casualties or injuries have been reported, with the Interior Ministry collecting information on any damage. mf