Russian artist and Putin critic shot dead in Poland

Robert Kuzovkov, who used the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, has been known for his caricatures of politicians including Vladimir Putin. Russian opposition artist Robert Kuzovkov shot dead in exile in Poland Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Semyon Skrepetsky was not immediately identified by police in eastern Poland A man wearing an old-style Russian hat with a Soviet badge holds the top of a framed picture and wears a jacket crammed with medals Russian artist and Putin critic shot dead in Poland Police in Poland are investigating the execution-style murder of a Russian artist and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin. Polish prosecutors said Robert K, known as the artist Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot dead on Monday morning in the Polish city of Biała Podlaska, about 40km (25 miles) from the Belarusian border. The 44-year-old was shot five times in the head, chest and back in a car park in the city, located about 600m from the Belarusian consulate. Semyon Skrepetsky was the pseudonym used by Robert Kuzovkov. He was known for his caricatures of politicians, including Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Marcin Kozak, spokesman for the District Prosecutor's Office in Lublin, said the artist was approached by an unidentified gunman who fired two shots at him. "When 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," he added. Five shell casings and one Geco 9mm Luger bullet were recovered from the crime scene, Kozak said. An autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday. Police detained two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37, near the Belarusian consulate in the city. Their role in the incident was still being determined, Kozak said. Media reports said Skrepetsky moved to Biała Podlaska in 2021. "The victim engaged in public artistic activities and used among other things, the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, under which he expressed criticism of the current policies of the Russian Federation authorities," Kozak said. Video posted recently on social media showed Skrepetsky at a Russia Day protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin on 12 June. He had been carrying a painting caricaturing Putin and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, as well as a Russian flag tied to his trousers that had been dragging along the road. Russia bans Oscar-winning film 'Mr Nobody Against Putin' Evidence shows Russians directing the plot and stoking tensions with fake far-right and Muslim groups. National Crime Agency officers detain an Indian national on suspicion of sanctions offences. Marines were joined by National Crime Agency officers in the six-hour long operation in the early hours of Sunday. Poland is threatening to strip Ukraine's president of a state honour over the naming Ukrainian military unit after controversial World War Two fighters. Lisa Semple, 58, was treated for leukaemia last year with a stem cell transplant from a 19-year-old man. The BBC's Russia editor saw Putin's flagship economic event overshadowed by Ukrainian drones attacks. Residents of Russia's second-largest city were urged to stay indoors for the first time since the war started. The Russian president's refusal comes after his Ukrainian counterpart wrote an open letter calling for face-to-face talks.