Russian satirist who mocked Putin shot dead in Poland
Semyon Skrepetsky, a Russian artist known for satirical caricatures of Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny, was shot dead in the Polish town of Biala Podlaska on the morning of June 15. Skrepetsky had left the Altai region of Russia in 2021, citing fear of political persecution, and had lived in Poland since.
Polish reports describe a shooting at close range involving more than one assailant. Police detained a suspect near the Belarusian consulate, sealed the town’s exits, and placed schools and daycare centers under guard. No motive has been confirmed and authorities have not characterized who was behind the killing.
The location and method have drawn comparisons to past attacks on Kremlin critics abroad, but those claims remain unproven pending the Polish investigation. Should a state link be established, it would mark another killing of a Russian exile on EU soil and raise pressure on Warsaw over the safety of dissidents it has taken in.