Exclusive footage of the assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Fico released

(Patria) - Finnish television has released new, never-before-seen footage of the assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The footage is part of a 50-minute documentary about Slovakia, produced by the Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The documentary shows the entire course of the most serious security incident in Slovakia's history, including the moment the attacker opened fire on the prime minister, up to the moment the car doors closed and bodyguards placed the injured Fico in the vehicle.

The footage shows Fico falling to the ground after being shot, while bodyguards lift him and hold him under the arms. His reaction immediately after the shooting was also recorded.

The footage was incidentally recorded by the local Slovak television Prvigye, whose cameramen and a journalist were nearby filming footage for news that was to be broadcast later. At that moment, the attacker opened fire on the prime minister. The journalists handed over the footage to investigators, as well as to Finnish television, which later included the material in its documentary.

"I knew this wouldn't be a classic news report, but a documentary that would show the whole situation. I thought about it and told myself that enough time had passed, the prime minister was alive and relatively healthy," said Dana Reindlova, director of the regional television Privigye, who witnessed the assassination as a reporter.