Polish PM says killing of Russian dissident artist Semyon Skrepetsky was political assassination
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the shooting of exiled Russian caricaturist Semyon Skrepetsky has all the hallmarks of a political murder, and if ordered by Moscow would constitute state terrorism.
The killing
On Monday morning, 15 June, Semyon Skrepetsky was shot dead near his home in Biala Podlaska, eastern Poland. An unidentified man approached him around 9:45 a.m., fired three shots, then two more at close range after he fell. The artist died at the scene from wounds to the head, chest and back. Five 9mm Luger casings were recovered, the same ammunition used in the 2019 Tiergarten murder in Berlin and the 2024 killing of defector pilot Maxim Kuzminov in Spain.
Political reaction
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters on Wednesday that everything points to this being a political murder. He cautioned that authorities are still gathering evidence, but added that if Russia ordered the killing, it would constitute state terrorism. Tusk confirmed that Skrepetsky had been offered protection by Polish authorities but refused it. The case, he said, is difficult because identifying a hired killer is not easy.
Everything points to this being a political murder. But we must wait for evidence or more concrete indications. Because if that was the case -- if it was ordered by Russia -- then it is an extremely serious matter internationally. It would constitute state terrorism.
The artist and his work
Skrepetsky, whose real name was Robert Kuzovkov, fled Russia in 2021 fearing political persecution and settled in Poland. He was known for provocative caricatures of Vladimir Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, and other figures. His art often depicted Putin in humiliating poses, such as being cradled by Josef Stalin or wearing prison clothes. He also criticized the Ukrainian government and Russian opposition figures. Days before his death, he performed in Berlin, throwing a Russian flag into a trash can.
Threats and investigation
Just before the attack, Skrepetsky posted on Telegram a threat he had received, warning that Kadyrov would personally rape him after the war and that finding him was child's play. Two Belarusian citizens were detained near the Belarusian consulate but released for lack of evidence. Belarusian action artist Vlad Bokhan, who was in contact with Skrepetsky, told DW that the killing was meant to intimidate others.
This murder was not just about eliminating one person, but about sending a message to everyone engaged in similar activities.
A pattern of attacks
The killing adds to a series of attacks on Kremlin opponents abroad. In 2019, a Chechen commander was shot in Berlin with the same 9mm Luger ammunition. A Russian defector pilot was killed in Spain in 2024. Poland itself arrested a man in 2024 for plotting to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Moscow has consistently denied involvement in such cases.
- Skrepetsky flees Russia and settles in Poland.
- Performs in Berlin, throws Russian flag in trash.
- Posts threat on Telegram: Kadyrov will rape him after the war.
- Shot dead near his home in Biala Podlaska.
- Two Belarusian citizens detained near Belarusian consulate.
- PM Tusk calls killing a political assassination; detainees released.
