Muratov says Putin cannot claim victory in Ukraine
Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov told the BBC that Putin cannot claim victory in Ukraine, offering a critical assessment of the war's progress.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Russian journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov has told the BBC that Vladimir Putin cannot claim victory in Ukraine. In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, in Moscow, Muratov said the war could never be considered a victory. He said that two Slavic nations have ripped more than a million people to shreds. He added that Ukraine can be destroyed but not conquered.
Muratov, who co-founded the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, has become a rare public critic of the Kremlin. The paper was forced to close after the start of the war. Its licence was revoked, its website blocked, and one of its editors was arrested. Muratov himself has been declared a foreign agent by the Russian state, a label often used to punish critics.
He spoke about the repression of dissent. According to Muratov, almost all non-state media outlets have shut. Opinion leaders have been declared enemies of the state, foreign agents, extremists or terrorists. He said a conservative estimate is that at least 1,500 people are in prison since the beginning of the 'special military operation' for speaking out against state policy.
Muratov also highlighted specific cases, including Alexey Gorinov, sentenced to seven years for criticising the invasion at a local council meeting, and a paediatrician, Nadezhda Buyalova, jailed for five and a half years after a patient reported her for an anti-war comment. When asked whether his Nobel laureate status protected him, Muratov declined to answer, saying the question should be put to the authorities.
Despite the risks, Muratov insisted he is not a lone voice. He said that on the streets of Moscow, he and his colleagues hear words of gratitude, spoken in a whisper. He said many people support their work even if they stay silent.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| Muratov said Russia cannot achieve victory in Ukraine. | ||
| The Russian state has declared Muratov a foreign agent, a label used to punish Kremlin critics. | ||
| At least 1,500 people have been imprisoned in Russia for speaking out against state policy since the start of the war. | · | |
| Muratov cited Alexey Gorinov and Nadezhda Buyanova as examples of people jailed for anti-war comments. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This regional news programme leads with local stories before turning to the Muratov exclusive. It gives the full interview significant airtime and frames it as a rare public criticism of Putin. The tone is serious and sympathetic to the plight of independent voices in Russia, with no additional analysis beyond the standard BBC package.
- “He has told the BBC that Vladimir Putin can no longer hope to claim victory in Ukraine.”
- “Shafts of light in an otherwise bleak picture for critics of the Kremlin.”
This is a national signed bulletin that treats the Muratov interview as a major story, giving it the same prominence as the A-level results. The coverage is straightforward and factual, with no deviation from the standard BBC report. The signed format suggests a focus on accessibility, but the editorial angle is identical to other BBC outlets.
- “He has told the BBC that Vladimir Putin can no longer hope to claim victory in Ukraine.”
- “Understand this, there will never be victory.”
This regional programme also gives the Muratov story top billing, but it includes a promotional teaser for Newsnight beforehand and a sports item afterwards. The coverage itself is identical to the other BBC reports, focusing on the interview and the repression of critics. No unique angle or extra context is provided.
- “the Kremlin can no longer hope to claim victory in Ukraine.”
- “Shafts of light in an otherwise bleak picture for critics of the Kremlin.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.