A Russian artist known for drawing caricatures and criticizing many leaders, including Vladimir Putin, was shot dead in Poland. Police have arrested two suspects.
On 16 June 2026, foreign news agencies reported that Robert K., known as “Semyon Skrepetsky,” a Russian artist and critic of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, was shot dead in Biała Podlaska, Poland, on Monday morning.
Polish prosecutors stated that the 44-year-old man was shot five times in the head, chest, and back in a parking lot about 600 meters from the Belarusian consulate and roughly 40 kilometers from the Belarus border.
Semyon Skrepetsky is the pseudonym of Robert Kuzovkov. He was known for his cartoon caricatures of several politicians, including Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. He was granted refugee status after leaving Russia in 2021 due to fears of criminal prosecution.
Marcin Kozak, spokesperson for the district prosecutor's office in Lublin in eastern Poland, said the artist was approached by an unknown gunman who fired two shots at him. "When the victim fell to the ground, the assailant came closer and fired three more shots, then quickly fled the scene. Robert K. died at the scene."
Kozak added that police detained two Belarusian nationals, aged 33 and 37, near the Belarusian consulate in the city. Investigations are ongoing to determine their involvement in the incident.
Skrepetsky's caricatures included images of Putin embraced by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, Lukashenko depicted as Adolf Hitler holding a bucket of potatoes, and Kadyrov with his son Adam portrayed with pig noses.
He also satirized Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and ordinary Ukrainians. His address in Poland was publicly searchable online, and his works were posted on his Telegram and YouTube channels.
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Source:bbc