Attacker of Russian Nobel Prize winner Muratov arrested

Russian authorities have arrested a former soldier who attacked independent Russian journalist Dmitri Muratov on a train and pelted him with red oil paint. A nationalist military group had claimed the attack, calling it “revenge” for the fallen Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

Muratov is critical of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta, which last year was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, suffered damage to his eyes but retained his sight. Police are still looking for a second suspect.

The Novaya Gazeta will no longer appear online and in print in Russia until after the war, following warnings from the Russian media watchdog.