jasdooit

The Polish police have detained a man believed to be involved in the killing of a Russian artist who was outspoken against President Vladimir Putin, according to Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s statement on Thursday.

The individual involved in the daytime murder, which occurred on Monday, “is utilizing a Georgian passport,” Tusk stated in a message on X.

He further stated, ‘The mastermind is being identified by the services.’

The interior minister, Marcin Kierwiński, verified the Georgian passport during a press briefing in Warsaw and mentioned that the suspect is 36 years old.

Kierwiński stated that the individual is accused of connections to organized crime and is associated by the police with other offenses committed in Poland, some of which date back to 2022.

“It is possible that foreign intelligence agencies were involved,” stated Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister for security services, who addressed the press conference together with the interior minister.

“Occasionally, foreign agencies employ criminals to perform missions. This has been observed in past years. Although these instances did not include murder, criminals were hired to carry out attacks in different countries. Therefore, we are considering this scenario with great seriousness,” Siemoniak stated.

Semyon Skrepetsky, known in reality as Robert Kuzovkov, was shot three times by an unknown individual wielding a handgun in Biała Podlaska, eastern Poland, as reported by authorities.

As the artist collapsed onto the floor, the attacker moved in and fired two additional bullets at very close proximity.

Tusk stated on Wednesday that the artist’s death was likely a “political assassination.”

“If it was funded by Russia, then this also represents a significant issue with global implications,” he added.

The Polish administration claims it previously provided Skrepetsky with protection, which he rejected.

Two individuals from Belarus were held in relation to the artist’s death but have now been set free.

Skrepetsky gained recognition for his often controversial illustrations, which focused on well-known Russian political personalities, including Putin and former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, as well as opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

One of his most famous pieces reimagines a traditional Orthodox icon, showing Stalin holding Putin instead of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus.

Skrepetsky relocated to Poland in 2021, claiming he was worried about political repression in Russia.

While in exile, he participated in Russian opposition gatherings but openly criticized the opposition.

Since initiating its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has faced allegations of attempting to kill its adversaries overseas, such as exiled activists in France and Lithuania.

German authorities have also dismantled plans aimed at the leader of a German arms manufacturer supplying Ukraine and a Ukrainian military figure.

Moscow has refuted any participation in these assaults.