Russian artist and Putin critic shot dead in Poland

Polish police are investigating the execution‑style murder of Russian artist and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, Robert Kuzovkov, who used the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky. The 44‑year‑old was shot dead in a car park in Biała Podlaska, a city about 40 kilometres from the Belarusian border, on Monday morning.

According to the District Prosecutor’s Office in Lublin, the victim was hit five times with a Geco 9mm Luger round – in the head, chest and back – and the perpetrator fled the scene after firing three additional shots once the victim fell to the ground. Five shell casings were recovered, the police said.

Police detained two Belarusian citizens aged 33 and 37 near the Belarusian consulate in Biała Podlaska; their involvement in the killing is still under investigation. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday to determine the exact cause of death.

Skrepetsky was known for caricatures of Russian, Belarusian and Chechen leaders, including Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko. He had recently taken part in a protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin on 12 June, carrying a painting satirising Putin and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.