International-News

Dissident Russian artist shot dead in Poland, suspect detained

Russian dissident artist Semyon Skrepetsky has been shot dead in eastern Poland, triggering a police operation and raising questions about the motive behind the killing

Dissident Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky, 44, was shot dead in a parking area in the city of Biała Podlaska, eastern Poland, according to local media outlets Podlaski.info and wPolsce24.

Following the killing, police sealed off roads leading out of the city and placed local schools under protection, amid concerns that the victim’s children could be in the area.

One of the two suspected attackers was detained near the Belarusian consulate in Biała Podlaska. According to initial reports, the man is believed to be a Belarusian national.

Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, was originally from Russia’s Altai region. He was known for his satirical caricatures targeting political figures, including Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov.

At the same time, he had also expressed criticism of Ukrainian authorities. Kyiv had included him in the Myrotvorets database, which lists individuals accused of posing threats to Ukraine’s national security.

Three days before his death, Skrepetsky had appeared alone at a protest in Berlin, holding a drawing depicting a hybrid icon merging Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Putin.

He had been living in Poland since 2021.

The circumstances of the killing remain under investigation, with authorities working to establish whether the attack was politically motivated or linked to other factors.

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