Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky shot dead in Poland

A 44‑year‑old Russian artist, Robert Kuzovkov, known under the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky for his caricatures of President Vladimir Putin and other officials, was killed on 15 June in the eastern Polish city of Biała Podlaska, close to the Belarusian border. Police say he was approached in a car‑park near the Belarusian consulate, shot twice, then three more times at close range, sustaining wounds to the head, chest and back. Five shell casings and a 9 mm Luger bullet were recovered.

Polish prosecutors detained two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37, near the consulate; they were later released while investigations continue. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incident “likely a political murder” and warned that, if linked to Moscow, it could constitute state terrorism. The victim had refused police protection despite prior threats and had recently taken part in a protest in Berlin, discarding a Russian flag in a trash can.

Authorities have not yet established a motive, and no direct link to Russian security services has been proven. An autopsy is scheduled, and the investigation remains ongoing amid broader concerns about attacks on Russian dissidents abroad.