Russian satirist shot dead in Poland, two Belarusian suspects detained
A Russian visual artist known for caricatures of Vladimir Putin was killed in Lublin, Poland; authorities have detained two Belarusian nationals in connection with the attack.
Polish officials said a Russian artist who frequently mocked President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in the eastern city of Lublin on Monday. The district prosecutor reported that three gunshots were fired at the victim, identified as Robert Kuzovkov, who worked under the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, and that the assailant approached the fallen man and fired two additional shots at close range. Two Belarusian citizens have been detained for questioning, though they have not yet been formally charged. Skrepetsky, a visual artist born in Russia's Altai Republic, had lived in exile in Poland since 2021 and was known for provocative caricatures of Russian and Belarusian leaders, as well as other political figures. Three days before his death, he traveled to Berlin for Russia Day, where he staged a protest outside the Russian embassy holding a caricature that combined images of Putin and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.