Unbiased AI-powered news
Robert Kuzovkov, who used the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, has been known for his caricatures of politicians including Vladimir Putin.
The Guardian=== LATEST DEVELOPMENT (the current news — lead the headline and first paragraph with THIS) === [Los Angeles Times] A Russian artist who was critical of Putin is killed near his home in Poland A 44-year-old Russian artist who has been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot and killed at close range near his home in the eastern Polish city of Biala Podlaska, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Two Belarusian citizens, aged 37 and 33, were arrested near the Belarusian Consulate after the killing on Monday, they said. , in accordance with Polish privacy laws. They said he was an artist who used the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky. Through his art, he "expressed criticism of the current policies of the Russian authorities,” the prosecutors said in a statement.
He painted unflattering portraits of Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and other high-ranking Russian officials. One depicts Putin being cradled in the arms of the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. On Sunday, he had posted a video on his YouTube channel showing him in Berlin putting a Russian flag in a trash can on June 12, the holiday marking Russia's sovereignty.
m. by an unidentified man who fired two shots at him, then shot him three more times at close range before fleeing. Prosecutors said the victim died at the scene of gunshot wounds to the head, chest and back. Polish prosecutors have not attributed the slaying to Moscow and Poland's Internal Security Agency did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Since it invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been accused of trying to assassinate its opponents abroad, including targeting exiled activists in France and Lithuania. Officials in Germany have also broken up plots targeting the head of a German weapons supplier to Ukraine and a Ukrainian military official.
Polish authorities arrested a man in 2024 in what they said was a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. That same year, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected was killed in Spain, with Russian operatives as the prime suspects.
Ciobanu and Burrows write for the Associated Press. Burrows reported from London.
=== EARLIER COVERAGE / BACKGROUND (context only — do NOT lead with this) === [BBC News] 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.
---
</p><p>Five shots were fired at the victim, including one to the head, in the attack on Monday, said Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the district prosecutor in Lublin.
---
[Le Monde] Russian artist critical of Putin shot dead in Poland Semyon Skrepetsky, whose real name is Robert Kuzovkov, was shot three times on Monday morning by an unidentified gunman. He was known for his sometimes provocative caricatures, which targeted prominent Russian political figures.
nymag.comPresident Trump warned Sunday that the United States would hit Iran very hard if it did not stop its proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble or keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Vice President J.D. Vance held parallel talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland aimed at securing a…
america.cgtn.comAbelardo de la Espriella defeated Iván Cepeda by less than one percentage point in the June 21 runoff. Electoral authorities released results after more than 99 percent of ballots were counted.
english.elpais.comAbelardo de la Espriella defeated Ivan Cepeda 49.66 percent to 48.70 percent in the June 21 runoff. More than 26 million ballots were cast, a 63 percent turnout in the 53-million-person country.