Russian Artist and Putin Critic Shot Dead in Polish Exile

Robert Kuzovkov, a 44-year-old Russian artist known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot dead in Biała Podlaska, Poland, on Monday morning. According to Polish prosecutors, Kuzovkov was approached by an unidentified gunman in a car park approximately 600 metres from the Belarusian consulate around 9:45 a.m. The perpetrator fired five shots at him—two initial shots before Kuzovkov fell to the ground, followed by three additional shots. The victim died at the scene from gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and back. Five shell casings and one Geco 9mm Luger bullet were recovered from the crime scene.

Kuzovkov had fled Russia in 2021 fearing criminal prosecution and was granted asylum in the eastern Polish town, which has a population of less than 60,000 and sits approximately 40 kilometres from the Belarusian border. He was widely known for his satirical and critical artwork targeting Russian political leaders, including Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. His caricatures depicted Putin in the arms of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and Lukashenko as Adolf Hitler with a bucket of potatoes. Kuzovkov shared his work on Telegram and YouTube, and his Polish address was publicly available online. Video footage from the night before his death showed him participating in a Russia Day protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin on Friday, carrying a painting of Putin and Stalin alongside a Russian flag.

Polish authorities detained two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37, near the Belarusian consulate shortly after the incident. Prosecutors stated they were investigating the detainees' role in the killing, though no formal charges had been announced at the time of reporting. Polish prosecutors did not attribute the homicide to Moscow, and Poland's Internal Security Agency did not provide comment on the investigation. A post-mortem examination was scheduled for Wednesday.

Kuzovkov is survived by his wife and five children in Poland. Friends and acquaintances expressed concern that his public and high-profile criticism of Russian leadership had made him a target. Bulat Subkhankulov, a friend, recalled repeatedly warning Kuzovkov about the dangers: "I kept telling him: 'Mate, they're going to come for you, they're going to come for you. Please be prepared, always stay alert.'" The killing occurs against a broader pattern of alleged Russian attacks targeting political opponents and activists in exile. Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the country has been accused of attempting to assassinate opponents abroad, including attacks on exiled activists in France and Lithuania, and Russian agents have been suspected in the deaths of defectors and critics in Spain and other European nations.