Putin Cannot Win in Ukraine, Says Nobel Winner Dmitry Muratov

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov warns from Moscow that Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine will never result in victory, asserting that the neighboring nation can only be destroyed, not conquered. Speaking from the silenced offices of his independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, the veteran journalist highlights the grim reality of Europe's bloodiest war since World War II. As the Kremlin projects confidence, Muratov's stark assessment exposes the severe silencing of critical voices within Russia today.

The physical offices of Novaya Gazeta stand empty after state authorities nationalized its printing presses and revoked its operating license. While the publication maintains a fragile online presence, domestic readers must bypass government firewalls using virtual private networks to access its reporting. This systemic dismantling of the press forced Muratov to auction his Nobel medal to raise millions of dollars for humanitarian aid benefiting Ukrainian refugees, symbolizing his commitment to assisting those displaced by the violence.

Established over three decades ago, Novaya Gazeta consistently exposed corruption and human rights violations, a mission that cost the lives of six of its journalists, including Anna Politkovskaya. Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, yet this international recognition offered no protection against the Kremlin's subsequent wartime clampdown. Today, the suppression of dissent in Russia surpasses late-Soviet history, with at least 1,500 citizens currently imprisoned for opposing state policies—a figure three times higher than political

Originally reported by BBC World