EPISODE · May 9, 2026 · 47 MIN
1058. Putin's Defeat is Assured - The Drone Ecosystem in Ukraine is Surging Ahead!
from Silicon Curtain · host Jonathan Fink
Georgijs Ivanovs started the Ukraine Matters channel in 2007, and it has garners 11.5 m views. He started the channel to explain the situation surrounding the war in Ukraine in simple terms. Like myself, he is not Ukrainian, nor is he a military expert. But he has been to Ukraine many times and seen it almost fully (except for Odesa region). He has a lot of good friends in Ukraine, and in fact his wife is Ukrainian, and so feels extremely connected to the invasion that scaled up in February 2022. ----------LINKS: @UkraineMatters ----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------DESCRIPTION:Russia’s Offensive Stalls: Drone Warfare, Attrition Data & Why Europe Needs Ukraine’s Lessons (Georgijs Ivanovs)Jonathan welcomes back Georgijs Ivanovs of “Ukraine Matters” while promoting a fundraiser to buy Vampire drones for Khartiya Brigade via Silicon Curtain, noting plans to meet the group in Kyiv and later Kharkiv. Georgijs Ivanovsargues data shows Russia is struggling to restart its spring/summer offensive: assaults are up but territorial gains fell, averaging about 4.5 km²/day versus about 20 km²/day during Russia’s 2025 offensive, implying Donbas capture timelines stretch dramatically. He attributes Russia’s problems to Ukraine’s pressure—mid-range strikes on logistics, disrupted Russian communications (Starlink denial plus Russian blocks on Telegram and Discord), and sustained casualties exceeding recruitment (estimated 25–35k/month). They discuss drone warfare’s defensive advantage, skepticism about coup rumors (especially involving Shoigu), Putin’s pattern of waiting and doubling down, Europe’s slow adaptation and procurement failures, and growing European recognition of vulnerability as US/NATO guarantees appear less reliable.----------
What this episode covers
Georgijs Ivanovs started the Ukraine Matters channel in 2007, and it has garners 11.5 m views. He started the channel to explain the situation surrounding the war in Ukraine in simple terms. Like myself, he is not Ukrainian, nor is he a military expert. But he has been to Ukraine many times and seen it almost fully (except for Odesa region). He has a lot of good friends in Ukraine, and in fact his wife is Ukrainian, and so feels extremely connected to the invasion that scaled up in February 2022. ----------LINKS: @UkraineMatters ----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------DESCRIPTION:Russia’s Offensive Stalls: Drone Warfare, Attrition Data & Why Europe Needs Ukraine’s Lessons (Georgijs Ivanovs)Jonathan welcomes back Georgijs Ivanovs of “Ukraine Matters” while promoting a fundraiser to buy Vampire drones for Khartiya Brigade via Silicon Curtain, noting plans to meet the group in Kyiv and later Kharkiv. Georgijs Ivanovsargues data shows Russia is struggling to restart its spring/summer offensive: assaults are up but territorial gains fell, averaging about 4.5 km²/day versus about 20 km²/day during Russia’s 2025 offensive, implying Donbas capture timelines stretch dramatically. He attributes Russia’s problems to Ukraine’s pressure—mid-range strikes on logistics, disrupted Russian communications (Starlink denial plus Russian blocks on Telegram and Discord), and sustained casualties exceeding recruitment (estimated 25–35k/month). They discuss drone warfare’s defensive advantage, skepticism about coup rumors (especially involving Shoigu), Putin’s pattern of waiting and doubling down, Europe’s slow adaptation and procurement failures, and growing European recognition of vulnerability as US/NATO guarantees appear less reliable.----------
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1058. Putin's Defeat is Assured - The Drone Ecosystem in Ukraine is Surging Ahead!
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