June 17, 2026

Exiled Russian artist and Putin critic Semyon Skrepetsky shot dead in Poland

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2 min readJun 17, 2026 03:10 PM IST

Russian artist and dissident Semyon Skrepetsky, who was known for his caricatures of President Vladimir Putin and other political figures, was shot dead near his home in eastern Poland on Monday. Two Belarusian nationals have been detained as part of the investigation, reported CNN. Authorities, however, have not yet been able to establish a motive.

Shot near home in eastern Poland

According to CNN, Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, was attacked in a parking area that happened to be near his residence in Biała Podlaska. The town is close to Poland’s border with Belarus. The gunman initially fired two shots before approaching the victim, after which he fired three more shots at close range, Polish officials were quoted as saying.

News agency Reuters reported that the 44-year-old Russian artist had sustained 5 gunshot wounds, including one to the head. Two Belarusian citizens, both in their 30s, were detained later.

Artist fled Russia in 2021

The CNN report further stated, Skrepetsky had been living in Poland since 2021 after having left Russia because he had been worried about being arrested owing to his political activism. Skrepetsky’s artworks often targeted Putin, senior Russian officials and other powerful political figures. He was known for using satire and surrealism in his works. His paintings conveyed political views, heavily influenced by Russian Orthodox iconography.

According to a report by Associated Press, Skrepetsky had not ceased to criticise the Kremlin even after moving out of Russia, and had also recently shared material criticising Russian leadership on his social media.

Critic of both Kremlin and opposition figures

CNN reported he had publicly burned his Russian passport after Moscow went ahead with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in 2022. Although he was initially perceived to be strongly supportive of Ukraine, he later became critical of certain sections of the Ukrainian leadership as well.

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