A Russian artist and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin has been shot dead in Poland. Robert Kuzovkov, known by his pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was killed outside a Belarusian consulate in the town of Biała Podlaska, approximately 40km from the Belarusian border.
Kuzovkov, 44, was shot five times in the head, chest, and back in a car park near the consulate. Polish prosecutors said the artist was approached by an unidentified gunman who fired two shots at him. The gunman then fired three more shots after Kuzovkov fell to the ground and fled the scene.
Kuzovkov had been living in Poland since 2021, when he left Russia fearing criminal prosecution. He had been granted asylum in the small town of Biała Podlaska, which has a population of less than 60,000. The artist was known for his satirical cartoons, which depicted politicians including Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled for Wednesday, and Polish authorities have detained two Belarusian citizens in connection with the incident. The motive behind the killing is still unclear, but Kuzovkov's outspoken criticism of Putin and the Russian government may have played a role.