Two detained after exiled critic of Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland

WorldPolitics
17 Jun 2026 • 12:20 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Two detained after exiled critic of Vladimir Putin shot dead in Poland

  • Russian artist Robert Kuzovkov, known as Semyon Skrepetsky, an exiled critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot dead in Poland.
  • The 44-year-old was killed on Monday morning in Biala Podlaska, near the Belarusian consulate, after being shot five times at close range.
  • Polish prosecutors reported that a lone gunman fired twice before Kuzovkov fell, then three more times as he lay on the ground.
  • Kuzovkov was known for his provocative political caricatures targeting figures like Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and had recently staged a protest outside the Russian embassy.
  • Two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37, have been detained in connection with the artist's killing, with an official autopsy scheduled.

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