Semyon Skrepetsky, a Russian artist known for his
anti-President Vladimir Putin cartoons, was fatally shot on Monday in Biała
Podlaska, Poland, near the Belarusian border.
Skrepetsky was the pseudonym of Robert Kuzovkov, 44, who had
relocated to Poland in 2021 after fleeing Russia due to concerns over arrest
related to his political activism.
According to the district prosecutor’s office in Lublin, the
artist was killed in an “execution-style” shooting in a parking lot close to
his home. He was struck by five bullets, with wounds to the head, chest, and
back.
Marcin Kozak, spokesman for the district prosecutor’s office
in Lublin, said the attacker approached the victim and opened fire.
After Kuzovkov fell, the shooter fired additional rounds at
close range before fleeing the scene.
Investigators recovered five shell casings and a Geco 9mm
Luger bullet from the location.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday.
“According to current information, the 44-year-old was
approached by an unidentified man who fired two shots at him with a handgun,”
Kozak said.
“After the victim fell to the ground, the perpetrator
approached, fired three more shots, and then quickly fled the scene. Robert K
died at the scene. Five shell casings and one Geco 9mm Luger bullet were
recovered from the crime scene.”
Authorities launched a manhunt shortly after the shooting
and detained two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37.
Kuzovkov was a prolific painter and outspoken critic not
only of Putin but also of other regional leaders, including Belarusian
President Alexander Lukashenko and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
He had previously participated in a Russia Day protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin on June 12, where he displayed a painting depicting Putin alongside former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, while carrying a Russian flag that dragged along the ground.
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