BIAŁA PODLASKA — Semyon Skrepetsky, whose legal name is Robert Kuzovkov, was shot and killed in a car park in Biała Podlaska, Poland, on June 15, 2024. The 44-year-old Russian artist and performer was shot five times during the attack, sustaining wounds to the head, chest, and back.

The victim died at the scene of the shooting. Marcin Kozak, spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Lublin, said, "When the victim fell to the ground, the perpetrator approached, fired three more shots and then quickly fled the scene." Investigators recovered five shell casings and one Geco 9mm Luger bullet from the crime scene.

Two Belarusian citizens, aged 33 and 37, were detained near the Belarus consulate in Biała Podlaska. The two men have not been charged in connection with the shooting, and investigators have not yet determined their specific role in the incident. An autopsy of the victim is scheduled for Wednesday.

Kozak stated, "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." Skrepetsky created political caricatures targeting figures such as Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, and Ramzan Kadyrov.

Three days prior to the shooting, Skrepetsky traveled to Berlin to observe Russia Day on 12 June. In Berlin, he staged a protest outside the Russian embassy, holding a painting caricaturing Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Putin. During this protest, a Russian flag was tied to his trousers.

Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for Poland's special services minister, confirmed that the Internal Security Agency is cooperating with police and prosecutors on the investigation. Polish officials have stated that the country's function as a logistics hub for military supplies to Ukraine has made it a target for Russian espionage and sabotage.