Russian Cartoonist Critical of Putin Killed in Poland, Two Belarusian Men Detained

A Russian artist who had lived in Poland since 2021 was shot dead on Monday morning in a parking lot near his residence in Biała Podlaska, a town close to the Belarusian border, prosecutors said. The victim, identified as 44-year-old Semyon Skrepetsky (real name Robert Kuzovkov), was approached by an unidentified man who fired two shots, then fired three additional shots after the victim fell, according to Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the Lublin prosecutor’s office. Skrepetsky died at the scene from head and chest wounds.

Police launched a manhunt and subsequently detained two Belarusian men, aged 37 and 33, near the Belarusian consulate in Biała Podlaska. Kozak said their involvement is under investigation.

Skrepetsky was a prolific painter whose work frequently featured critical depictions of President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials. His artwork, sometimes styled after Russian Orthodox icons, portrayed political figures in exaggerated or satirical manners. He had previously renounced his Russian passport after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and was known for outspoken criticism of both the Russian government and certain elements of the opposition.