Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, former chief editor of Novaya Gazeta, says Russia's President Vladimir Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine due to the ongoing war and human toll. At least 1,500 people are estimated to be imprisoned for speaking out against current state policy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Muratov notes that while Putin predicts a Russian victory, the conflict has become the bloodiest in Europe since World War Two, with over a million people affected or displaced. He warns that continued escalation could lead to nuclear weapons being used, which he believes would be catastrophic.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
At the Moscow offices of newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the corridors are silent.
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corridors → publish → Gazeta
"There is no newspaper anymore," former chief editor Dmitry Muratov tells me in an exclusive interview, published on the BBC News YouTube channel, external.
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Muratov → be → channel
Muratov, 64, co-founded Novaya Gazeta more than 30 years ago.
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Muratov → co → Gazeta
It became the flagship for hard-hitting independent journalism in Russia, shining a light on human rights abuses and high-level corruption.
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It → become → abuses
In 2021 Muratov was joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts "to safeguard freedom of expression."
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Muratov → safeguard → expression
The Nobel Committee noted that "six of [Novaya Gazeta's] journalists have been killed, including Anna Politkovskaya who wrote revealing articles on the war in Chechnya.
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who → note → Chechnya
But it didn't protect the paper.
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it → protect → paper
"Putin issued a decree and the newspaper's printing presses were nationalised," Muratov explains.
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Muratov → issue → decree
"Its registration was revoked."
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registration → revoke → ?
Novaya Gazeta does retain a presence online.
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Gazeta → retain → presence
But only just: the authorities have blocked access to its website.
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authorities → block → website
It can only be accessed from abroad, or with the help of VPNs – virtual private networks used to circumvent restrictions.
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It → access → restrictions
The newspaper's difficulties reflect the broader crackdown on free speech in Russia which has accelerated since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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which → reflect → 2022
"Most opinion leaders have been declared 'foreign agents', 'extremists' or 'terrorists'.
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leaders → declare → ?
Several hundred," says Muratov.
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Muratov → say → ?
"Figures vary, but at a conservative estimate, since the start of Russia's 'special military operation' [in Ukraine] at least 1,500 people are now in prison having spoken out against current state policy.
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people → vary → policy
In his 1975 Nobel Peace Prize lecture dissident Andrei Sakharov listed the names of more than 120 political prisoners he was aware of in the Soviet Union.
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he → list → Union
A decade later Amnesty International estimated more than 600 prisoners of conscience in the USSR.
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International → estimate → USSR
What the Kremlin had assumed in 2022 would be a short, successful "military operation" has become the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
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assumed → assume → War
Yet a confident President Vladimir Putin continues to predict victory for Russia.
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Putin → continue → Russia
"There will never be 'victory'," counters Muratov.
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Muratov → counter → ?
"Because what has been going on for nearly five years – no matter how it ends – can no longer be considered a victory.
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it → go → years
"It cannot be a victory when two Slavic nations have ripped a million people to shreds.
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nations → rip → shreds
"It seems to me that the situation with Ukraine now is this: you can destroy it, but you cannot conquer it.
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you → seem → it
What do I mean by destroy?
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I → mean → destroy
Does he really believe the Kremlin leader would use nuclear weapons in this war?
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leader → believe → war
"All those political experts who say 'Putin thinks this' or 'Putin is scared of that'…they're all charlatans," claims Muratov.
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Muratov → say → that'
Nobody knows what's going on in Vladimir Putin's head.
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what → know → head
And I don't know.
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I → know → ?
"I see things only as a journalist.
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I → see → journalist
I study big data.
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I → study → data
And since the beginning of the year the need to use nuclear weapons has been mentioned more than 500 times.
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need → use → weapons
When wackos say this, I pay no attention.
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I → say → attention
But I've heard it discussed on state TV.
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it → hear → TV
And at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a state-run event, one of the speakers talked up the use of nuclear weapons as something favourable, something good."
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one → run → something
When he announced the mass invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin spoke of "ensuring the security of Russia."
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Putin → announce → Russia
"Tell me, has security increased?" Muratov asks.
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Muratov → tell → me
"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?
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drones → attack → prisoners
Has security increased, or not?
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security → increase → ?
Despite opinion polls registering a fall in Putin's domestic approval ratings, Russia's president – Muratov believes - retains a tight grip on power.
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Muratov → register → power
…and 36 more, not listed.
