Geopolitics

Guest claims evacuated Donbas towns will return “almost entirely” pro-Russian

Judging Freedom · Russia's Demographic Shift in Ukraine—Judge Napolitano on the Consequences · July 23, 2026

Judging Freedom

Russia's Demographic Shift in Ukraine—Judge Napolitano on the Consequences

"For the most part, it will be after the cleanup of these towns, after the snipers are neutralized, after the mines are removed or detonated, then the population will come back and it will be Russian-speaking population that is pro-Russian. So in that sense, the end result of this advance of Russian troops in Donbas and Novorossiya will be a population that is almost entirely pro-Russian as well as Russian-speaking."

A guest on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s Judging Freedom claims that as Russian forces take Ukrainian towns and hamlets, most civilians evacuate during fighting and only return later based on political allegiance. He argues that those “who have allegiance to Ukraine” do not come back, while pro-Russian, Russian-speaking residents “rush back in”, producing an “almost entirely” pro-Russian demographic outcome in captured areas. The host challenges the premise by noting Russia’s stated aim of “liberating Russian-speaking Ukrainians”, prompting the guest to describe the change as a delayed effect rather than immediate local support.

About this episode

In this short episode of Judging Freedom, Judge Andrew Napolitano asks a guest to describe what happens “on the ground” demographically and politically as Russian forces take Ukrainian towns. The guest rejects the label of “ethnic cleansing” in its usual sense, saying civilians are not fleeing because Russians threaten them, but because evacuations occur around combat and, he claims, Ukrainian authorities order residents to leave for Ukraine. He asserts that only a small fraction of pre-war residents remain during fighting, and that over time the population that returns to secured areas will be disproportionately Russian-speaking and pro-Russian, while those aligned with Kyiv “aren’t coming back”.

Napolitano then asks about pressure on President Vladimir Putin in “the second half of July 2026” to end the war quickly. The guest says pressure is “immense” and alleges it has contributed to an escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine and Kyiv over the prior 10 days, including strikes Russia claims hit arms factories. He argues Russia should have targeted such sites earlier and questions why Moscow has moved slowly. The guest also references Russian commentator Sergey Karaganov’s call for a nuclear strike against Europe, but argues Russia could instead use advanced conventional systems to strike Ukrainian “decision-making centers”, which he says has not yet been done. The segment contains analysis and disputed claims rather than independently verified new reporting.

Key takeaways

Guest claims captured towns are largely emptied during fighting, with few residents remaining.
He alleges evacuations are driven in part by Ukrainian orders to leave, not Russian threats.
He argues post-fighting returns will skew towards pro-Russian, Russian-speaking residents, reshaping local demographics.
Napolitano presses the apparent contradiction with Russia’s stated goal of ‘liberating’ Russian-speaking Ukrainians.
Guest says pressure on Putin has led to an escalation in strikes on Kyiv over the past 10 days, including alleged arms-factory hits.
He references Karaganov’s nuclear-strike advocacy but argues conventional weapons could target Ukrainian political and military ‘decision-making centers’.