A Russian artist known for his sharp anti-Kremlin satire has been shot dead in eastern Poland in what investigators are treating as a targeted killing.
Polish prosecutors said the victim, identified legally as Robert K. but widely known by his pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was killed on Monday morning in Biała Podlaska, a city roughly 40 kilometres from the Belarusian border and close to the Belarusian consulate.
DDM gathered that the 44-year-old was shot multiple times in a car park struck in the head, chest and back. Authorities say the attacker fired repeatedly at close range before fleeing the scene.
Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Lublin, said the gunman first opened fire as the victim fell, then stepped closer and fired again before escaping.
Five shell casings and a 9mm bullet were recovered at the scene, and an autopsy has been scheduled.
Police have also detained two Belarusian nationals, aged 33 and 37, near the consulate area. Officials say their involvement is still under investigation.
Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, was known for political caricatures mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen head Ramzan Kadyrov. His work circulated widely online among anti-Kremlin audiences.
Authorities said he had been living in Biała Podlaska since 2021 and was active in public artistic and political expression.
In a statement, prosecutors said he regularly used his pseudonym to publish satirical works critical of Russian state policy.
Footage posted on social media days earlier showed him attending a Russia Day protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin, where he displayed artwork depicting Putin alongside Joseph Stalin and carried a Russian flag tied to his clothing.
The killing has raised concerns because of its location near sensitive border infrastructure and diplomatic sites. Police have not yet identified a motive, and investigations are ongoing.
