Geopolitics

Guest on Judging Freedom repeats Russian-held Kherson claims about Ukrainian drones

Name: Guest on Judging Freedom repeats Russian-held Kherson claims about Ukrainian drones
Uploaded: 2026-07-23T12:17:00+00:00
Description: A guest on Judging Freedom alleges, citing a teleconference he says was organised via the Russian embassy in Brussels, that officials and medics in occupied Kherson described Ukrainian drone strikes as making the area unsafe. He says they claimed drones cut electricity and were used to drop landmines onto streets and pavements. These assertions are not independently verified in the clip.

Judging Freedom · Russia's Pyrrhic Victory? Ukraine's Drone War on Kherson #shorts · July 23, 2026

Judging Freedom

Russia's Pyrrhic Victory? Ukraine's Drone War on Kherson #shorts

"the governor himself said that oblast is un is uninhabitable, is unsupportable because of the daily drone strikes. And what is that? They have knocked out the electricity. When he spoke at this teleconference, there was no electricity in the region."

A guest on Judging Freedom alleges, citing a teleconference he says was organised via the Russian embassy in Brussels, that officials and medics in occupied Kherson described Ukrainian drone strikes as making the area unsafe. He says they claimed drones cut electricity and were used to drop landmines onto streets and pavements. These assertions are not independently verified in the clip.

About this episode

In this short segment, Judge Andrew Napolitano’s guest argues that Russia is “winning” the war on the ground while also describing what he calls a potential “Pyrrhic victory” when viewed through humanitarian and political costs. The guest says his information comes from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and recounts being selected by the Russian embassy in Brussels as one of a small number of “representatives of the Kingdom of Belgium” to attend a three-hour teleconference about Kherson oblast, one of four Ukrainian regions Russia claims to have incorporated in 2023.

He describes the call as featuring testimony led by a Russian-appointed regional governor, doctors and alleged victims. According to the guest, participants claimed daily Ukrainian drone strikes have made parts of the region effectively uninhabitable, including by knocking out electricity during the briefing itself. He also repeats an allegation that Ukrainian drones have dropped landmines on streets and pavements, creating risks for civilians attempting to shop for provisions.

The clip contains no independent corroboration for these claims and presents them through the lens of a Russian-organised briefing.

Key takeaways

Guest says Russia is winning the war militarily but frames it as a potential ‘Pyrrhic victory’.
He attributes his information to Russia’s foreign ministry and a Russian-embassy-organised teleconference.
He says the briefing focused on Kherson oblast, which Russia claims to have annexed.
He recounts claims from a Russian-installed governor that the region was without electricity amid alleged daily drone strikes.
He repeats an allegation that drones have been used to drop landmines on streets and pavements, endangering civilians.