Russian artist and Putin critic shot dead in Poland

Article excerpt

Robert Kuzovkov, a Russian artist who created biting caricatures of Vladimir Putin and other politicians under the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot dead in Poland. The killing marks another death of a prominent Putin critic living in exile, adding to a pattern of violence against Russian dissidents abroad. Kuzovkov's work had made him a notable figure in anti-Kremlin artistic circles, using satire as a weapon against the Russian government. Polish authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death, which comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine.