The author brings significant authority to this subject. Mikhail Zygar is a prominent opposition Russian political journalist who co-founded TV Rain, the country's only independent news channel, and wrote the acclaimed book All the Kremlin’s Men. His extensive experience includes reporting from Ukraine since 2004, providing firsthand knowledge of the country's political evolution. Following the 2022 invasion, Zygar wrote an open letter condemning the war—an act signed by tens of thousands of Russian citizens that ultimately forced him to flee his home country.