A 44-year-old Russian artist who openly criticised President Vladimir Putin was shot dead at close range near his home in the eastern Polish city of Biala Podlaska, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Polish media identified the victim as Robert Kuzovkov, though prosecutors referred to him as Robert K, in line with Polish privacy laws. They confirmed he was an artist working under the alias Semyon Skrepetsky.
Provocative Artwork
Just five days before his death, Skrepetsky had been seen outside the Russian Embassy in Germany during a Russia Day protest, carrying a painting depicting Putin as a baby. His art "expressed criticism of the current policies of the Russian authorities," prosecutors said in a statement. His portfolio included unflattering portrayals of Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and other senior Russian figures. One particularly provocative piece showed the baby Putin held by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Investigation Underway
"An investigation is being conducted into the murder of a 44-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation known in the media as Semyon Skrepetsky," said Marcin Kozak, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Lublin. A day before his death, Skrepetsky posted a video on YouTube showing himself discarding a Russian flag into a bin in Berlin on June 12, Russia's national day.
According to prosecutors, the artist was confronted near his residence at about 9:45 am by an unknown attacker who first fired two shots, then three more at close range before fleeing. The victim died at the scene from gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and back.
Context of Russian Operations Abroad
Polish prosecutors have not directly linked the murder to Moscow, and Poland's Internal Security Agency has not commented. Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has faced accusations of attempting to kill its opponents overseas, including exiled activists in France and Lithuania. German officials have foiled plots targeting the head of a German arms supplier to Ukraine and a Ukrainian military figure. In 2024, Poland arrested a man suspected of plotting to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That same year, a Russian defector helicopter pilot was killed in Spain, with Russian agents considered the main suspects.
