Russian Cartoonist Shot Dead in Poland

A Russian artist, Semyon Skrepeckis, who was famous for his political cartoons, was shot dead on Monday in the eastern Polish city of Biała Podlaska, local media including "Podlaski.info" and "wPolsce24" reported.

Police have not officially named the victim but confirmed that the deceased is a 44-year-old Russian citizen. The murder occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex. According to media reports, the shooter fired multiple times at close range. Emergency services were unable to save the artist's life.

Following the incident, police blocked streets and exit routes from the city, and tightened security at schools and kindergartens where the victim's children might be present. It is believed that two people were involved in the murder. One suspect was detained near the Belarusian consulate in the city and, unofficially, is a Belarusian citizen. The other perpetrator is still at large.

Semyon Skrepeckis, whose real name is Robert Kuzovkov, was born in 1981 and lived in the Altai region until 2021, when he emigrated to Poland due to the risk of political persecution. He drew caricatures of Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Ramzan Kadyrov, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, Alexei Navalny, and Joseph Stalin. He described Navalny as "the Kremlin's most successful project that destroyed the Russian opposition."

Skrepeckis also criticized Ukrainian authorities and was listed in Ukraine's "Mirotvorec" database. On June 12, Russia Day, he staged a protest in Berlin with a cartoon depicting Stalin and Putin.