Russian satirist Semyon Skrepetsky shot dead in Poland
Russian artist and satirist Semyon Skrepetsky was shot and killed in Biala Podlaska, Poland, three days after an anti-Putin protest in Berlin.
A Russian national has been shot dead in the Polish city of Biala Podlaska, local media report. The victim has been identified as 44-year-old satirist Semyon Skrepetsky. According to wPolsce24, the shooter fired multiple times at close range in a parking lot outside an apartment building. Paramedics were unable to save him.
Following the killing, police sealed off roads and exits from the city, and placed schools and daycare centers—where the victim’s children may have been—under guard. Authorities believe there were two assailants. One suspect was detained near the Belarusian Consulate in Biala Podlaska. Unofficial reports suggest the arrested individual is a Belarusian national.
Belarusian opposition Telegram channel DzikMedia reported that a Belarusian taxi driver drove the killers to the scene. When they pointed a gun at him, he panicked and tried to flee toward the Belarusian consulate. It remains unclear whether this driver is the same person as the detained suspect.
Semyon Skrepetsky (born Robert Kuzovkov), a native of the Altai region, was known for his caricatures of politicians. He drew satirical portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He also criticized Ukrainian authorities and was listed in Ukraine’s Myrotvorets database, which designates individuals accused of crimes against national security.
Three days before his death, on Russia Day, Skrepetsky staged a one-man protest in Berlin, holding a caricature of Joseph Stalin and Putin. He had lived in Poland since 2021.
