Polish Authorities Arrest Suspect Linked to Murder of Russian Activist
WARSAW, Poland — Polish officials have detained a man suspected of fatally shooting a Russian activist who was critical of President Vladimir Putin. They suspect the individual may have ties to foreign intelligence, a senior official announced Thursday.
This incident is seen by Polish authorities as part of a broader Russian campaign aimed at destabilizing NATO countries and creating fear among Ukraine’s allies.
Interior Minister Marcin Kielwiński shared details at a press conference in Warsaw, revealing that the suspect, a 36-year-old man, holds a passport from Georgia, a former Soviet republic.
Kielwiński noted that the suspect is believed to have connections to organized crime and has been linked to other offenses in Poland, some of which date back to 2022.
The victim, Robert Kuzovkov, known as Semyon Skrepetsky, was shot near his home in Biala Podlaska, a city in eastern Poland near the Belarus border. Polish police confirmed he was 44 years old.
The suspect allegedly fired two shots first and then three more at close range, resulting in Kuzovkov being hit in the head, chest, and back, leading to his death at the scene.
“We suspect involvement from foreign intelligence services,” Polish Security Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said during the same press event. “In the past, we’ve seen foreign agencies hiring criminals for operations, although those did not involve murder. So, we are treating this possibility with utmost seriousness.”
Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented on the case, suggesting its characteristics align with a political assassination. He remarked, “Everything points to this being a political murder. If this was ordered by Russia, it presents a significant international issue—it would amount to state terrorism.”
Initially, Polish investigators detained two Belarusians in connection with the case but later released them due to a lack of evidence linking them to the murder.
Kuzovkov was an artist who used his work to criticize the Russian government, creating unflattering portrayals of Putin and other officials. One piece even depicted Putin alongside Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Just days before his death, Kuzovkov posted a video on his YouTube channel showing himself discarding a Russian flag into a trash can during a Russian national holiday.
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russia has been accused of attempting to assassinate opposition figures abroad, including exiled activists in France and Lithuania. Additionally, German authorities uncovered a plot targeting a German arms supplier for Ukraine and military officials.
In a related context, in 2024, Polish authorities arrested a man suspected of planning to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. That same year, a defector from the Russian military was killed in Spain, with Russian agents suspected in the case.
