WARSAW, Poland — A 44-year-old Russian artist who openly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot and killed at close range outside his home in the eastern Polish city of Biala Podlaska, according to prosecutors who announced the news Tuesday.
Polish media identified the victim as Robert Kuzovkov, though prosecutors referred to him only as Robert K., as required under Polish privacy laws. He worked under the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky.
Two Belarusian nationals, ages 37 and 33, were taken into custody near the Belarusian Consulate following the Monday morning attack.
Prosecutors described the victim as an artist who, through his work, “expressed criticism of the current policies of the Russian authorities.” His paintings included unflattering portrayals of Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and other senior Russian officials. One piece depicted Putin being held in the arms of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Just the day before his death, the artist had posted a video to his YouTube channel showing him in Berlin placing a Russian flag into a trash can on June 12 — the holiday commemorating Russian sovereignty.
Prosecutors said an unidentified man approached the artist near his home at approximately 9:45 a.m., fired two shots, then shot him three additional times at close range before fleeing the scene. The victim died at the scene from gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and back.
Polish prosecutors have not linked the killing to the Russian government, and Poland’s Internal Security Agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country has faced repeated accusations of attempting to eliminate political opponents on foreign soil, including alleged plots targeting exiled activists in France and Lithuania. German officials have also disrupted alleged plots against the head of a German arms supplier to Ukraine and a Ukrainian military official.
In 2024, Polish authorities arrested a man in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That same year, a Russian helicopter pilot who had defected was killed in Spain, with Russian operatives considered the prime suspects.
