Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine, Nobel Peace Prize winner tells BBC

Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin can no longer assert victory in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Speaking in an exclusive interview with the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, Muratov, who is also the editor-in-chief of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, articulated that the Kremlin leader’s objective has shifted from conquest to destruction. He suggested that Putin can “destroy Ukraine, not conquer it,” indicating a grim assessment of the war, which has now entered its fifth year. The comments reflect a growing sentiment that Russia’s initial aims for the invasion have not been met, and the conflict is mired in protracted and destructive fighting.