Russian artist Robert Kuzovkov, who used the name Semyon Skrepetsky and was known for criticising Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, was shot dead in Biała Podlaska in eastern Poland. Two Belarusian nationals were detained in connection with the attack but had not been charged.
District prosecutor spokesperson Marcin Kozak, based in Lublin, said five shots were fired, including one to the victim's head. He confirmed that the person killed had used art to criticise the current conduct of Russia's authorities. Kozak said establishing the victim's identity would be an important part of the investigation.
Polish special services were also involved. Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for the minister responsible for those services, said the Internal Security Agency was working closely with police and prosecutors. The Belarusian opposition Telegram channel DzikMedia, citing unidentified sources, reported that a man had tried to climb the fence of the Belarusian consulate in Biała Podlaska while escaping police and was caught.
Three days before the killing, Skrepetsky travelled to Berlin for Russia Day, the June 12 holiday marking the declaration of sovereignty before the Soviet Union collapsed. According to Meduza, he staged a protest there featuring an icon-style caricature of Joseph Stalin and Putin. Two days before his death, he reposted a painting portraying Ramzan Kadyrov and his son Adam as pigs.
Skrepetsky was born in Russia's Altai region and lived there until 2021. He moved to Poland after citing fears of political persecution. His work included satirical images of Putin, Kadyrov, the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also published paintings and videos mocking Adam Kadyrov and Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat special forces unit.
Some Russian artists and commentators outside the country speculated that the killing resembled an operation ordered by Kadyrov. Art collector Marat Gelman wrote that he suspected a Chechen connection. Those assertions were not findings by Polish investigators, and the supplied evidence did not establish who ordered the attack or why. Kadyrov has previously faced accusations that his associates pursued critics in Europe.
The case unfolds as Poland says its position as a route for military and other aid to Ukraine has made it a target for Russian espionage and sabotage efforts. Russia's embassy in Warsaw was unavailable for comment. The detentions represented the publicly disclosed investigative step, while responsibility for the killing remained undetermined. Both Belarusian detainees remained uncharged in the available account, and prosecutors had not publicly attributed the attack to Russia, Chechnya or any other government or organisation.
