Russian Dissident Artist Semyon Skrepetsky Killed Near Belarus Border in Poland

Wed Jun 17 2026 18:49:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Polish prosecutors report a 44‑year‑old artist symbolically known as Semyon Skrepetsky was fatally shot in Biała Podlaska while criticising Putin.

On Monday morning the body of Semyon Skrepetsky, a Russian artist and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, was found dead in a car park near the Belarusian consulate in Biała Podlaska. The 44‑year‑old, who had fled Russia in 2021 and taken asylum in the town, was shot five times in the head, chest and back. Two Belarusian citizens were detained nearby, but their role remains unclear. Skrepetsky’s work, filled with satirical depictions of Russian leaders, drew him to the “Russia Day” protests in Berlin the night before his death, and he was survived by a wife and five children.

Russian Dissident Artist Semyon Skrepetsky Killed Near Belarus Border in Poland

Police in Poland are investigating the murder of a 44‑year‑old Russian artist who was known for his outspoken criticism of President Vladimir Putin. The artist, whose real name is Robert Kuzovkov, was shot dead in the town of Biała Podlaska, just 40 km from the Belarusian border, on the morning of 15 June.

Biała Podlaska, a small town with under 60,000 residents, is located about 600 m (2,000 ft) from the Belarusian consulate. Police said the victim was shot five times in the head, chest and back inside a car‑park, and that the attacker fired an additional three shots before fleeing the scene. The victim is believed to have been approached by an unidentified gunman who fired two shots before the fatal burst.

The case drew international attention because Skrepetsky was a well‑known satirist and had repeatedly caricatured Russian political leaders, including Putin, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko and Chechen chief Ramzan Kadyrov. He had also mocked figures such as Alexei Navalny at the time of his death. The artist’s work was widely shared on Telegram and his YouTube channel.

Two Belarusian nationals, aged 33 and 37, were detained near the consulate, but prosecutors say their involvement has yet to be determined. An arrest was made and police recovered five shell casings and a single Geco 9 mm Luger cartridge at the scene. A post‑mortem examination is scheduled for Wednesday to confirm cause of death.

An eyewitness friend, Bulat Subkhankulov, told the BBC that Skrepetsky had been attending a “Russia Day” protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin the night before his murder. "I kept telling him: ‘Mate, they’re coming for you. Please be prepared and stay alert,’” Subkhankulov said, adding that his friend was “reckless and stubborn.”

Skrepetsky was granted asylum in Biała Podlaska in 2021 after fearing criminal prosecution in Russia. He left Russia over a year ago and had established a family there, consisting of a wife and five children who now survive him.