Russian artist critical of Kremlin shot dead in Poland

A 44-year-old Russian artist, Robert Kuzovkov, known for his criticism of President Vladimir Putin, was shot and killed near his home in Biala Podlaska, Poland, on June 12, 2026. Prosecutors stated that two Belarusian citizens, aged 37 and 33, were arrested near the Belarusian Consulate shortly after the incident. Kuzovkov, who used the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was known for his artwork that criticized Russian authorities, including portraits of Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. On the day before his death, he posted a video on YouTube in which he disposed of a Russian flag in Berlin. The shooting occurred around 9:45 a.m., when an unidentified assailant approached Kuzovkov and fired multiple shots, resulting in his death at the scene. Polish prosecutors have not linked the murder to the Russian government, and the Internal Security Agency has not commented on the matter. This incident follows a pattern of alleged assassination attempts by Russia against its critics abroad since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.