Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, political divisions have deepened both within and outside the country.
Pro-Russian figures who were once active in Ukraine’s government have either disappeared from public view or aligned themselves more closely with the Kremlin.
Some fled, while others remain in Ukraine, facing criminal charges for assisting Moscow.
A number of them continue to push Russian propaganda from abroad, adding to tensions in a war that has already destroyed cities and forced millions to leave their homes.
Denied Political Ambitions
One of these figures, former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev, made his first public appearance in nearly three years by releasing a two-hour interview on Jan. 17.
Murayev, who previously led the now-banned pro-Russian Nashi party, repeated Kremlin talking points while criticizing Ukraine’s leadership, according to Kyiv Independent.
Murayev was a member of Ukraine’s parliament from 2012 to 2019. During that time, he opposed Ukraine’s efforts to join the European Union and NATO.
He later founded Nash TV, a media channel that was shut down in 2022 for spreading Russian disinformation.
When Russia escalated its invasion, Murayev fled Ukraine in May 2022 and has since been living in Beijing.
He did not disclose how he managed to leave the country.
In the interview, he blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the war and spoke against Western sanctions on Russia.
He denied any political ambitions, despite speculation that his return to public view could signal future involvement in Ukraine’s post-war elections.
"I'm not running for any position, and I don't see any possibility of returning to Ukraine yet. At least in the short term," he said.
Before the war, the U.K. Foreign Office had warned that Russia intended to install Murayev as the head of a puppet government in Kyiv.
The day after Russia’s full-scale invasion, he publicly urged Ukraine to surrender.
