Russian artist critical of Putin shot dead in Poland

Skrepezki was known for his caricatures that targeted prominent Russian political figures such as Stalin and Putin.
Vasily Krestyaninov/SOPA Images/picture alliance via DW
A Russian artist critical of President Vladimir Putin was shot dead at close range in a parking lot in the town of Biala Podlaska in eastern Poland, Polish authorities said on Tuesday (16).
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Five shots were fired at the victim, including one in the head, said Marcin Kozak, spokesman for the Lublin district public prosecutor's office. According to Kozak, two Belarusian citizens suspected of being linked to the case were arrested near the Belarusian consulate in Biala Podlaska. Belarus is governed by a regime allied with Russia.
Also according to Kozak, the artist was approached by an unidentified gunman, who initially fired two shots at him. "When the victim fell to the ground, the perpetrator approached, shot three more times and quickly fled the scene," he said. Five capsules and a projectile were collected at the crime scene, the authority said.
So far, "no charges have been formalized" against the two Belarusians, Kozak said, adding that "they remain at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the police."
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The crime occurred on Monday, and the victim of the attack was identified by Polish authorities as Robert Kuzovkov, 44, also known as artistic pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, a Russian artist and performer, known for his criticism of the Russian leader.
Kozak confirmed that the dead man was involved in artistic activities in which he expressed criticism of the current actions of authorities in Moscow.
Three days before he was murdered, Skrepetsky had traveled to Berlin on Russia Day, a holiday on June 12 that marks the country's declaration of sovereignty before the collapse of the Soviet Union, where he held a protest in front of the Russian embassy with a caricature of Joseph Stalin and Putin.
Exile in Poland
Skrepetsky moved to Poland in 2021, claiming to fear political persecution in Russia. In exile, he maintained a defiant stance, participating in Russian opposition events, whom he also openly criticized.
He was known for his sometimes provocative caricatures, which targeted prominent Russian political figures, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny - who died in 2024 in a Russian prison - and Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov.
One of his best-known works reinterprets a classic Orthodox icon, depicting Stalin holding Putin in the Virgin's place of God with the baby Jesus.
Poland claims that its role as a center providing military aid and supplies to Ukraine has made it a target of Russian spies trying to gather information about support for Kiev's efforts to repel the Russian invasion, as well as engaging in acts of sabotage.
Russian opponents killed abroad
The security services of several European countries have warned of possible attacks against opponents of the Russian government living in exile.
In recent years, several members of the opposition Russians were killed abroad in suspicious or violent circumstances.
One of the best-known cases occurred in 2018, with the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom, an attack attributed by London to Russian agents. More recently, in 2024, a Russian military pilot who had defected to Ukraine was shot dead in Spain. He had defected to Ukraine the previous year in his helicopter.

Source: G1