Due to terrorism threat, protection of critical infrastructure will be strengthened. Traces also lead to Ukrainians
16. marca 2025
The Minister of the Interior pointed to terrorist attacks on key infrastructure that have occurred in Western Europe.
The Security Council of the Slovak Republic has agreed to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure in Slovakia. The Minister of the Interior, Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas), announced this after its meeting. He pointed to terrorist attacks on key infrastructure that have occurred in Western Europe.
The Director of the Slovak Information Service (SIS), Pavol Gašpar, confirmed that the threat is related to the detention of a Ukrainian citizen in Michalovce. On Tuesday, the police detained a person who was fleeing in a motor vehicle. According to information from TV Markíza portal, officers blocked the man's path at one of the roundabouts in the city center.
The specialized Office for Combating Organized Crime (ÚBOK) also participated in the operation. Special forces searched the suspect's car directly on the road for almost two hours.
The man ended up with head injuries and was taken into custody. Various objects found in the car were secured at the scene. Subsequently, a raid was also carried out at a cottage in the village of Vínne. The detained Ukrainian was said to have been renting it. According to neighbors, he had been living there for about two years with his wife and two children.
They talk about a wider group
This foreign national, together with another detained Ukrainian, was allegedly part of a wider group that was conducting intelligence activities in our country related to critical infrastructure.
"We have documented, at least at the intelligence level, long-term coordinated activity of a certain group of people, which shows signs of sophisticated intelligence activity and relates to and has a potential impact on the security of the Slovak Republic," stated Gašpar. It is a group that is said to include a Slovak with Hungarian citizenship.
According to Gašpar, state authorities have very specific knowledge in this matter, but he did not specify them in more detail due to the possible obstruction of the investigation.
Closer to the bomb threat reporter
According to the Minister of the Interior, SIS is also moving towards identifying the potential perpetrator of hybrid attacks and threats of bomb attacks on schools or public buildings.
In the case of bomb threats, Slovakia is the only country that, according to the SIS chief, has identified a potential perpetrator. The information service is also communicating with foreign partners on this matter.
"Specific actions are taking place there. I will be glad when we can present more details in the near future. The level of security risk posed by these means of waging hybrid warfare is low," he explained.
Gašpar claims that at the level of the national security analytical center, a methodology for the procedure of individual security forces has been developed. The methodology should be approved in a short time and also submitted to the government meeting.
"It will be followed in similar cases if they occur in the future," noted the SIS chief. He declares that they do not underestimate the threats and the measures taken by the security forces are above standard.
Hollý, Ladislav. "Due to Terrorism Threat, They Will Strengthen Protection of Critical Infrastructure. Traces Also Lead to Ukrainians." Štandard, November 28, 2024. https://standard.sk/828833/pre-hrozbu-terorizmu-posilnia-ochranu-kritickej-infrastruktury-stopy-vedu-aj-k-ukrajincom. Accessed: 16. 3. 2025
The Director of the Slovak Information Service (SIS), Pavol Gašpar, confirmed that the threat is related to the detention of a Ukrainian citizen in Michalovce. On Tuesday, the police detained a person who was fleeing in a motor vehicle. According to information from TV Markíza portal, officers blocked the man's path at one of the roundabouts in the city center.
The specialized Office for Combating Organized Crime (ÚBOK) also participated in the operation. Special forces searched the suspect's car directly on the road for almost two hours.
The man ended up with head injuries and was taken into custody. Various objects found in the car were secured at the scene. Subsequently, a raid was also carried out at a cottage in the village of Vínne. The detained Ukrainian was said to have been renting it. According to neighbors, he had been living there for about two years with his wife and two children.
They talk about a wider group
This foreign national, together with another detained Ukrainian, was allegedly part of a wider group that was conducting intelligence activities in our country related to critical infrastructure.
"We have documented, at least at the intelligence level, long-term coordinated activity of a certain group of people, which shows signs of sophisticated intelligence activity and relates to and has a potential impact on the security of the Slovak Republic," stated Gašpar. It is a group that is said to include a Slovak with Hungarian citizenship.
According to Gašpar, state authorities have very specific knowledge in this matter, but he did not specify them in more detail due to the possible obstruction of the investigation.
Closer to the bomb threat reporter
According to the Minister of the Interior, SIS is also moving towards identifying the potential perpetrator of hybrid attacks and threats of bomb attacks on schools or public buildings.
In the case of bomb threats, Slovakia is the only country that, according to the SIS chief, has identified a potential perpetrator. The information service is also communicating with foreign partners on this matter.
"Specific actions are taking place there. I will be glad when we can present more details in the near future. The level of security risk posed by these means of waging hybrid warfare is low," he explained.
Gašpar claims that at the level of the national security analytical center, a methodology for the procedure of individual security forces has been developed. The methodology should be approved in a short time and also submitted to the government meeting.
"It will be followed in similar cases if they occur in the future," noted the SIS chief. He declares that they do not underestimate the threats and the measures taken by the security forces are above standard.
Hollý, Ladislav. "Due to Terrorism Threat, They Will Strengthen Protection of Critical Infrastructure. Traces Also Lead to Ukrainians." Štandard, November 28, 2024. https://standard.sk/828833/pre-hrozbu-terorizmu-posilnia-ochranu-kritickej-infrastruktury-stopy-vedu-aj-k-ukrajincom. Accessed: 16. 3. 2025
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, an important meeting took place between the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic and another central state administration body in the critical infrastructure sector, namely the Administration of State Material Reserves of the Slovak Republic (SŠHR).
V stredu 10. septembra 2025 sa uskutočnilo dôležité rokovanie Asociácie kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky s ďalším ústredným orgánom štátnej správy na úseku kritickej infraštruktúry, ktorým je Správa štátnych hmotných rezerv Slovenskej republiky (SŠHR).
The Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic (AKI SR) is negotiating with critical subjects and ministries about a suitable financing model for the resilience of critical subjects and the preservation of basic services. The Association is convinced that the entire burden of costs should not be borne only by critical subjects, but that the state should help finance the resilience of critical infrastructure, for example from European funds, and also support negotiations with banks on preparing advantageous loans towards developing threat analyses, security audits and subsequently projects to eliminate identified deficiencies. AKI SR will, in accordance with this proposal, initiate negotiations with the Slovak Banking Association and with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic for the recovery plan and knowledge economy. AKI SR is gradually concluding cooperation memorandums with ministries in accordance with the sectors that are under their responsibility according to the critical infrastructure law.
Asociácia kritickej infraštruktúry SR rokuje o financovaní nákladov na odolnosť kritických subjektov
Asociácia kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky (AKI SR) rokuje s kritickými subjektami a ministerstvami o vhodnom modeli financovania odolnosti kritických subjektov a zachovania základných služieb. Asociácia je presvedčená, že celé bremeno nákladov by nemali niesť len kritické subjekty, ale aby štát pomohol financovať odolnosť kritickej infraštruktúry napríklad z európskych fondov a podporil aj rokovania s bankami o príprave výhodných úverov smerom k vypracovaniu analýz hrozieb, bezpečnostných auditov a následne projektov na odstránenie zistených nedostatkov. AKI SR bude v súlade s týmto návrhom iniciovať rokovania so Slovenskou bankovou asociáciou a s podpredsedom vlády SR pre plán obnovy a znalostnú ekonomiku. AKI SR postupne uzatvára memorandá o spolupráci s ministerstvami v súlade so sektormi, ktoré sú v zmysle zákona o kritickej infraštruktúre v ich zodpovednosti.
Representatives of the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic participated on August 21, 2025, in a working meeting on the issue of the Critical Infrastructure Strategy in the agriculture and rural development sector of the Slovak Republic.
Zástupcovia Asociácie kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky sa 21. augusta 2025 zúčastnili na pracovnom stretnutí k problematike Stratégie kritickej infraštruktúry v rezorte pôdohospodárstva a rozvoja vidieka SR.
As part of developing cooperation across all critical infrastructure sectors, another significant meeting of the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic took place on August 14, 2025, this time at the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic.
V rámci rozvoja spolupráce naprieč všetkými sektormi kritickej infraštruktúry sa 14. augusta 2025 uskutočnilo ďalšie významné rokovanie Asociácie kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky, tentokrát na Ministerstve investícií, regionálneho rozvoja a informatizácie Slovenskej republiky.
In the video, you will learn how the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic protects the state's strategic systems, supports innovation, and coordinates cooperation between the public and private sectors. From January 1, 2025, laws No. 367/2024 and 366/2024 bring new obligations in the area of critical infrastructure and cybersecurity. How to prepare for EU directives and face threats? See how the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic helps companies and institutions!
Vo videu sa dozviete, ako Asociácia kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky chráni strategické systémy štátu, podporuje inovácie a koordinuje spoluprácu verejného a súkromného sektora. Od 1. januára 2025 prinášajú zákony č. 367/2024 a 366/2024 nové povinnosti v oblasti kritickej infraštruktúry a kyberbezpečnosti. Ako sa pripraviť na smernice EÚ a čeliť hrozbám? Pozrite si, ako Asociácia kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky pomáha firmám a inštitúciám!