Opposition Criticises Government for Idleness after Attack in Zakarpattia Oblast

Bratislava, 14 May (TASR) - The opposition has criticised the government for its lack of action following Russia's attack on Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast near the Slovak border, viewing it as a security threat to Slovak citizens. "I'm calling on [Premier] Robert Fico [Smer-SD] to immediately stand up for Slovakia's interests and for our security. Hungary summoned the Russian ambassador, while Slovakia is silent. The premier is silent. The Foreign Affairs Ministry is silent," stated Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka. He added that the attack near Slovakia's borders took place just a few days after Slovak Premier Fico (Smer–SD) visited Moscow, where he was said to have delivered a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Former Interior Minister and MP Roman Mikulec ('Slovakia' party–For the People) warned that Russian attacks have never been closer to Slovak territory than they are now. "Drones hit the city of Uzhhorod. It's just a short distance from the border with Slovakia. It would take very little for those drones to cross into our territory and threaten towns and villages in eastern Slovakia," he said. He criticised Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice–SD) for engaging in a political campaign instead of addressing the security situation. Meanwhile, the party called on President Peter Pellegrini to take action as commander-in-chief of the Slovak Armed Forces. Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) joined the criticism, stating that Russia, with its attacks in close proximity to the Slovak border, is threatening not only the Slovak minority living in Ukraine, but also the territory of Slovakia itself. According to SaS, the government should clearly protest against these practices. The party added that although Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer–SD) did condemn the attack, the new Hungarian government "gave him a lesson not only in responsiveness, but also in how to stand up for one's nation". According to KDH chairman Milan Majersky, it's natural that people in eastern Slovakia should feel fear and uncertainty about the situation. "Where's the government today? "Why isn't the Security Council meeting immediately? Where are the premier and the defence minister? Not even a week has passed since Robert Fico bowed to Putin, and we already have attacks right near our borders," Majersky has posted on social media. On Wednesday (13 May), Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine faced the biggest Russian attack since the start of the invasion in February 2022. According to data from the Ukrainian armed forces, eleven Shahed- and Geran-type unmanned aerial vehicles entered Zakarpattia's airspace during the air raid. Most of them were shot down or disabled by the Ukrainian air-defence forces and electronic warfare units. The drones were reportedly intercepted in Ukrainian airspace just 50 kilometres from the Slovak border. In response to the attack, Slovakia closed all crossings at the border with Ukraine for security reasons. ko/df