Poland Arrests Suspect in Killing of Russian Artist Critical of Putin

Polish authorities arrested a 36-year-old man carrying a Georgian passport on Thursday as a suspect in the killing of Russian artist Robert Kuzovkov, known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky. Kuzovkov was shot and killed at close range near his home in Biala Podlaska, an eastern Polish city near the Belarusian border, on Monday morning around 9:45 a.m. According to prosecutors, an unidentified man fired two shots at the artist before shooting him three more times at close range, with fatal gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and back.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the killing as having the hallmarks of a political assassination, though he emphasized the need for concrete evidence before drawing final conclusions. "Everything points to this being a political murder," Tusk said at a news briefing in Warsaw on Wednesday. "But we must wait for evidence or more concrete indications. Because if that was the case — if it was ordered by Russia — then it is an extremely serious matter internationally. It would constitute state terrorism." Tusk noted that Kuzovkov had been offered protection by Polish authorities but had refused it.

Kuzovkov was known for creating art critical of Russian leadership, including unflattering portraits of President Vladimir Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and other high-ranking Russian officials. One of his works depicted Putin being cradled by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. On Sunday, the day before his death, Kuzovkov posted a video on his YouTube channel showing him in Berlin disposing of a Russian flag in a trash can on June 12, a date marking Russia's sovereignty day.

Polish investigators initially detained two Belarusian citizens following the killing but released them after determining they had no direct involvement. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński acknowledged that the investigation is challenging, noting that identifying hired assassins is difficult. The arrest comes amid a broader pattern of Russian operations targeting opponents abroad since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including attempted assassinations of exiled activists in France and Lithuania, as well as a Russian helicopter pilot who defected and was killed in Spain.