Russian artist shot dead in Poland; two Belarusian nationals detained

A Russian artist known for satirising Vladimir Putin has been shot dead in eastern Poland, according to Polish officials. The killing took place in Biala Podlaska, near the Belarusian border, and investigators are treating it as a murder case. Two Belarusian nationals are in custody in connection with the incident.

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A spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Lublin said the investigation concerns the killing of a 44-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation known publicly as Semyon Skrepetsky. Polish officials said Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, was shot five times on Monday morning by an unidentified gunman armed with a handgun. They said he was first shot three times, then approached on the ground and fired at twice more at close range.

The two detained Belarusian nationals were arrested in the vicinity of the Belarusian consulate in Biala Podlaska, officials said. The prosecutor's office said no charges had yet been brought and that the pair remained at the disposal of prosecutors and police. Officials also said a Russian-speaking figure using the name "El Money" had offered one of the men money to torch properties and record video of the attack for online attention, although the wider circumstances remain under investigation.

Skrepetsky had moved to Poland in 2021, saying he feared persecution in Russia amid a broad crackdown on dissent. He was known for caricatures and artworks that targeted prominent Russian political figures, including Vladimir Putin, Joseph Stalin, Alexei Navalny and Ramzan Kadyrov. His death therefore sits at the intersection of a violent criminal investigation and the wider climate of pressure on Russian dissidents and critics living abroad.

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The case also raises questions about cross-border security in a region where Poland borders Belarus and where official institutions have already pointed to the involvement of Belarusian nationals. The location of the arrests, close to the Belarusian consulate, adds to the sensitivity of the inquiry, although authorities have not publicly set out a motive. For now, the confirmed facts point to a targeted killing with possible political overtones, but investigators have not said whether the attack was ordered, opportunistic or linked to Skrepetsky's work.

What remains unclear is who fired the shots, whether the detained men are accused of direct involvement or support roles, and what evidence prosecutors have gathered so far. It is also not known whether the reference to "El Money" is central to the case or part of a broader line of inquiry. The next developments are likely to come from the Lublin prosecutor's office and police as the murder investigation continues.

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