Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former editor of Russia’s independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, has a clear message for the world. He believes President Vladimir Putin can no longer claim any real victory in Ukraine. The country cannot be conquered, he says, and can only be destroyed if the fighting continues without end.
Muratov spoke from the quiet offices of his once-thriving newspaper in Moscow. The paper, known for exposing corruption and human rights abuses, has been shut down by the authorities. Its printing presses were taken over, and its online site is now blocked inside Russia. Only people abroad or those using special tools can read it today.
This crackdown is part of a wider effort to silence voices against the war. Muratov notes that many opinion leaders have been labeled as foreign agents or extremists. He estimates that at least 1,500 people are now in prison for speaking out against the conflict. That number is far higher than during the toughest years of Soviet rule.
The war, which began in 2022, has turned into Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War Two. Yet Putin still talks of success. Muratov disagrees strongly and says true victory will never come for Russia. The human cost keeps growing, with no clear winner in sight.
Muratov auctioned his Nobel medal to help Ukrainian refugees through UNICEF. His actions show his deep concern for the people affected by the fighting. He continues to highlight the importance of free speech even as the space for it shrinks in his country.