Polish security services have arrested a second suspect in connection with the murder of Robert Kuzowkow, a Russian blogger and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, according to RMF FM reporter Krzysztof Zasada.
The detained man, identified as 22-year-old Makhmud A., is alleged to have carried out reconnaissance on the victim’s home in Biała Podlaska. Authorities believe he gathered intelligence about Kuzowkow’s daily routines and movements before passing the information to the person who carried out the shooting.
Motorway arrest and border expulsions
Officers from the ABW, Poland’s Internal Security Agency, detained Makhmud A. last Sunday at a car park along the A2 motorway. He had arrived in Poland the previous day and was travelling with two other Georgian nationals.
The two companions were handed over to Poland’s border guard, which ordered their expulsion from the country. Both have been issued with a ten-year ban preventing them from re-entering Poland.
Makhmud A. has been charged with aiding murder as well as illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A court has ordered him to remain in pre-trial detention for three months.
June killing on residential estate
Robert Kuzowkow was killed on the morning of 15 June on a pavement in a residential neighbourhood of Biała Podlaska, a town in Poland’s eastern Lublin voivodeship. An unknown man approached him and fired two shots from a handgun. As the victim fell to the ground, the assailant moved closer and fired three more shots at close range.
A post-mortem examination revealed seven gunshot wounds in total – five entry wounds and two exit wounds – to the head, chest and back.
Kuzowkow was a Russian performer, caricaturist and blogger known for his sharp satirical commentary aimed at the regime of Vladimir Putin and other targets.
What this means for Poles in Poland
The arrest underscores the reach of Poland’s security agencies in investigating politically sensitive murders on Polish soil. Biała Podlaska lies close to the Belarusian border, and the case has raised concerns about the vulnerability of exiled critics of authoritarian regimes in central and eastern Europe.
For residents of Poland, especially in border regions, the incident highlights the importance of reporting suspicious activity to local police or the ABW. Anyone with information relevant to the investigation can contact the authorities through official channels, including the local prosecutor’s office in Biała Podlaska or the ABW’s public tip line.
The ongoing investigation may also result in increased security checks in areas with concentrations of political refugees and dissidents. Poland has become home to thousands of Russians who have fled persecution, and cases like this can affect public perceptions of safety and law enforcement priorities in towns hosting such communities.
