Russia's anti-Putin artist killed near Polish home
Robert Kuzovkov, 44, a Moscow-critical artist who painted unflattering portraits of Vladimir Putin, was shot dead near his home in Biala Podlaska. Two Belarusian citizens were arrested.
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A 44-year-old Russian artist who has been critical of Vladimir Putin was shot and killed at close range near his home in the eastern Polish city of Biala Podlaska on Monday, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Two Belarusian citizens, aged 37 and 33, were arrested near the Belarusian Consulate following the killing. Polish media identified the victim as Robert Kuzovkov, though prosecutors named him only as Robert K. in accordance with Polish privacy laws. He was an artist who used the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky.
Through his art, Kuzovkov "expressed criticism of the current policies of the Russian authorities," prosecutors said. He painted unflattering portraits of Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and other high-ranking Russian officials. One of his works depicts Putin being cradled in the arms of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. On Sunday, he posted a video to his YouTube channel showing him in Berlin putting a Russian flag in a trash can on June 12, Russia's sovereignty holiday.
Prosecutors said the artist was approached near his home around 9:45 a.m. by an unidentified man who fired two shots at him, then shot him three more times at close range before fleeing. The victim died at the scene with gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and back.
Polish prosecutors have not attributed the killing to Moscow, and Poland's Internal Security Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been accused of attempting to assassinate opponents abroad, including targeting exiled activists in France and Lithuania. German officials have also disrupted plots against a weapons-supplier executive and a Ukrainian military official.