Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine, Nobel Peace Prize winner tells BBC
Putin Can No Longer Claim Victory in Ukraine, Nobel Winner Says
Muratov's Assessment of Russia's War and Free Speech Crisis
Ninoda.com – Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine, according to Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who helped found Novaya Gazeta. Speaking from the newspaper's Moscow headquarters, Muratov described an overwhelming sense of absence. "The newspaper is gone," he declared during a BBC News interview. The publication, established over three decades ago, became Russia's leading voice for independent journalism, exposing corruption and human rights abuses.
Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for defending freedom of expression. The committee recognized that six of Novaya Gazeta's reporters had died, including Anna Politkovskaya, whose powerful reporting covered the Chechnya war. Despite this honor, the newspaper could not escape its fate.
After selling his Nobel medal to support UNICEF's work with Ukrainian refugees, Muratov explained how authorities moved against the publication. "Putin signed an order nationalizing the printing presses," he said. "They cancelled the newspaper's registration." While Novaya Gazeta continues online, access remains restricted within Russia, requiring virtual private networks or foreign connections.
Free Speech Under Pressure
These developments reflect broader suppression of free expression in Russia since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. "Hundreds of opinion leaders have been labeled foreign agents, extremists, or terrorists," Muratov noted. "Conservatively speaking, more than 1,500 individuals face imprisonment for opposing government policy since the special military operation began. That represents triple the number held during the KGB's most brutal period."
Historical comparisons reveal the scale of current repression. Andrei Sakharov, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975, named over 120 political prisoners in his lecture. Ten years later, Amnesty International counted approximately 600 prisoners of conscience in the Soviet Union. Four journalists—Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin, and Artyom Kriger—received five-and-a-half-year sentences on extremism charges.
"There will never be 'victory'," counters Dmitry Muratov. "Because what has been going on for nearly five years – no matter how it ends – can no longer be considered a victory. It cannot be a victory when two Slavic nations have ripped a million people to shreds. Or more than a million."
What the Kremlin expected as a swift military triumph has become Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War. President Putin remains confident in Russian success, but Muratov offers a different view: "It seems to me that the situation with Ukraine now is this: you can destroy it, but you cannot conquer it. What do I mean by destroy? Continued escalation all the way to the use of a nuclear weapon."
"All those political experts who say 'Putin thinks this' or 'Putin is scared of that'…they're all charlatans," claims Dmitry Muratov. "It's in the same league as astrology. Nobody knows what's going on in Vladimir Putin's head. And I don't know. I see things only as a journalist. I study big data. And since the beginning of the year the need to use nuclear weapons has been mentioned more than 500 times."
When Putin announced the mass invasion in February 2022, he emphasized "ensuring the security of Russia." Muratov challenges this assertion: "Tell me, has security increased? With Ukrainian drones now attacking warehouses of [Russia's largest online retailer] Wildberries; with the petrol crisis, the disruption to mobile internet, the political prisoners? Has security increased, or not?"
Even though opinion polls show declining domestic support for Vladimir Putin, Muratov maintains that the president holds firm control. "Sorry, I don't believe all this talk about a split among members of the elite," he concludes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dmitry Muratov and why is his opinion significant? Dmitry Muratov is a Russian journalist and co-founder of Novaya Gazeta. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for defending freedom of expression, making his assessment of Russia's war efforts particularly authoritative.
What does Muratov mean when he says Putin can no longer claim victory? Muratov argues that after nearly five years of conflict, with over a million casualties and no clear resolution, Russia cannot declare victory regardless of how the war ends.
How has Novaya Gazeta been affected by Russian authorities? The newspaper's printing presses were nationalized, its registration was cancelled, and its website is now restricted within Russia, accessible mainly through virtual private networks or from abroad.
What is Muratov's view on nuclear weapons in this conflict? Muratov warns that continued escalation could lead to nuclear weapon use, noting that the need for nuclear weapons has been mentioned more than 500 times since the beginning of 2024.