Full story
Artist killed near Belarus border
Russian artist and Kremlin critic Semyon Skrepetsky was shot dead on Monday morning in the eastern Polish city of Biała Podlaska, prosecutors said, in a killing that has shocked opposition activists and raised questions about whether his political work played a role in his death.
“Russian artist known as Putin critic shot dead in eastern Poland Semyon Skrepetsky recently took part in protest outside Russian embassy in Berlin Jo Harper 16 June 2026•Update: 16 June 2026 WARSAW A Russian artist and cartoonist known for mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in eastern Poland on Monday in what Polish media are describing as a possible "execution-style" killing”
Prosecutors identified the victim as 44-year-old Robert Kuzovkov, known by his artistic name Semyon Skrepetsky, and said the shooting happened shortly before 10 a.m. in a residential area of the city.
Investigators said a man approached Skrepetsky on a pedestrian path and opened fire, with three shots fired first and two more after Skrepetsky fell to the ground, and a preliminary examination found five gunshot wounds including injuries to the chest and head.
CNN reported that prosecutors said Skrepetsky was approached near his home around 9:45 a.m. by an unidentified man who fired two shots with a handgun, then shot him three more times at close range before fleeing.
Police launched a large search operation after the shooting, and on Tuesday authorities confirmed that two Belarusian citizens had been detained near the Belarusian consulate in Biała Podlaska, though prosecutors stressed they had not been charged and investigators were still trying to determine whether they had any connection to the killing.
Prosecutors detail shots, arrests
Euronews reported that prosecutors said an investigation was being conducted into the murder of a 44-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation known in the media as Semyon Skrepetsky, and that two Belarusian nationals had been arrested in connection with the killing.
Marcin Kozak, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Lublin, told journalists that "An investigation is being conducted...into the murder of a 44-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation" and added that "Two Belarusian nationals have been arrested in connection with the killing."
Euronews said prosecutors described the attack as three shots fired on Monday morning by an unidentified gunman armed with a handgun, followed by two more shots at close range after Skrepetsky fell to the ground.
The BBC reported that police detained two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37, near the Belarusian consulate and said their role in the incident was still being determined by Marcin Kozak.
The BBC also quoted a friend of Skrepetsky, Bulat Subkhankulov, saying, "I kept telling him: 'Mate, they're going to come for you, they're going to come for you, they're going to come for you. Please be prepared, always stay alert," and added that Subkhankulov believed Skrepetsky had become carried away.
Exile activism and wider implications
Prosecutors and multiple outlets described Skrepetsky as a visual artist who expressed criticism of the current actions of Russian authorities through caricatures targeting Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
“- Published Police in Poland are investigating the murder of a Russian artist and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin”
The BBC said Skrepetsky was given asylum in Biała Podlaska after he left Russia in 2021 fearing criminal prosecution, and it reported that he was survived in Poland by his wife and five children.
In Berlin shortly before his death, Skrepetsky staged a Russia Day protest outside the Russian embassy, and the BBC said he carried a painting caricaturing Putin and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and a Russian flag tied to his trousers that had been dragging along the road.
The Guardian reported that investigators and human rights groups have linked Kadyrov’s associates to attacks and assassination plots in Europe, and it included a statement from Russian art collector Marat Gelman writing, "I hope there will be an investigation, although I’m almost certain it was one Chechen 'Don'."
The Guardian also said Poland’s special services minister’s spokesperson Jacek Dobrzyński stated the Internal Security Agency had been cooperating closely with police and prosecutors, while the Russian embassy in Warsaw was not available for comment.
