Police in Poland are investigating the murder of a Russian artist and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin.
The 44‑year‑old, known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot five times—once in the head, twice in the chest and twice in the back—in a car park in the town of Biała Podlaska, about 40 km from the Belarusian border.
The incident took place about 600 metres from the Belarusian consulate. Police say a gunman fired two shots at him and then fired three more after the victim fell, fleeing immediately.
Firearm investigation recovered five shell casings and a single 9mm Geco Luger bullet. A post‑mortem will be performed on Wednesday.
Two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37, were detained near the consulate, though the authorities have not yet clarified their role in the shooting.
Robert Kuzovkov had received asylum in Biała Podlaska after leaving Russia in 2021, fearing criminal prosecution. The artist used his platform to satirise Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and opposition figure Alexei Navalny, often depicting them with extreme caricatures that mock their policies.
His satirical cartoons—posted on Telegram and YouTube—frequently featured him holding a painting mocking Putin in the guise of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, and a flag of Russia tied to his trousers, visible in videos taken the day before his death.
Skrepetsky is survived by his wife and five children. The case remains under investigation as Polish authorities probe potential links to Belarus.
Media reports show that Skrepetsky attended a Russia‑Day protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin the night before his death, carrying a painting that mixed Putin with Stalin.
A friend of Skrepetsky, Bulat Subkhankulov, said he warned him about potential danger, but Skrepetsky was described as “completely reckless and stubborn.”
