Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar says the Russia-Ukraine war is far from over. He believes Vladimir Putin is prolonging the conflict to fuel propaganda and silence critics. 

This week on The Yarn, we’re sharing Zygar’s 2025 AN Smith Lecture—Journalism Against Autocracy. Addressing a sold-out audience at Melbourne University, Zygar recounts covering Putin’s Russia for more than two decades. He also discusses attacks on press freedom, coming out as gay in a deeply homophobic society, and why his new home in the United States is giving him “déjà vu”. 

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