Semyon Skrepetsky was an artist. He often drew caricatures of Russian leaders.
Semyon Skrepetsky already feared political persecution before he was shot five times in a parking lot. Three days earlier, at a protest, he displayed a caricature of Stalin and Putin.
A Russian artist and critic of President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in a parking lot in the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska, Polish authorities said on Tuesday, June 16.
They were fired five shots against the victim, including one to the head, said Marcin Kozak, spokesman for the Lublin district prosecutor’s office, adding that two Belarusian citizens were arrested in the case. You suspects were intercepted near the Belarusian consulate (governed by a regime considered Russia’s greatest ally) in Biała Podlaska.
According to Kozak, the artist was approached by an unidentified shooter, who initially fired two shots at him. “When the victim fell to the ground, the perpetrator approached, shot three more times and quickly fled the scene,” he said. Five shell casings and a projectile were collected at the crime scene, Kozak said.
The victim of the attack, which occurred on Monday, was identified as Robert Kuzovkov, 44, also known by his artistic pseudonym Semyon Skrepetskya Russian artist known for his criticism of the leader, Putin. Kozak confirmed that the dead man carried out artistic activity in which he expressed criticism of the current actions of the Moscow authorities.
Three days before Before being assassinated, Skrepetsky had traveled to Berlin on Russia Day, a holiday celebrated on June 12th and which marks the country’s declaration of sovereignty before the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the German capital, he held a protest in front of the Russian embassy with a caricature of Josef Stalin and Putin.
Exile in Poland
Skrepetsky moved to Poland in 2021, claiming he feared political persecution in Russia. In exile, he maintained a defiant stance, participating in Russian opposition events, which he also openly criticized.
He was known for sometimes provocative caricatures aimed at prominent Russian political figures, including opponent Alexei Navalny — killed in 2024 in a Russian prison — and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
One of his best-known works reinterprets a classic Orthodox icon, depicting Stalin holding Putin in place of the Mother of God with the Baby Jesus.
Poland claims that its role as a military and logistical support center for Ukraine has made it a target of Russian spies seeking to gather information about Kiev’s efforts to repel the Russian invasion, as well as engage in acts of sabotage.
Another Russian opponent killed abroad
The security services of several European countries have warned of possible attacks against opponents of the Russian government living in exile. In recent years, several members of the Russian opposition have been killed abroad in suspicious or violent circumstances.
One of the best-known cases occurred in 2018with the poisoning of the former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom, an attack that London attributed to Russian agents.
More recently, in 2024a Russian military pilot who had defected to Ukraine was shot dead in Spain. The previous year, he had defected to Ukraine aboard his helicopter.
