Silicon Curtain

Adam McQuire and Holly Tann are British humanitarian volunteers from Liverpool who co-founded the non-profit organization Casus Pax. They have made numerous trips to Ukraine, delivering medical supplies, first-aid equipment, and educational materials to front-line regions including Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk.Beyond delivering life-saving aid, they have integrated into the local community and educational institutions in Zaporizhzhia, conducting first-aid and search-and-rescue training. Their specific contributions include: educational support, providing teaching equipment and STEM kits to secondary schools. First Aid Training: operating emergency skills classes for civilians, educators, and university staff. Academic Roles: serving as visiting professors at institutions like the National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic”.Their grassroots organization relies on donations and business sponsorships to sustain its ongoing supply runs. You can follow their relief efforts and humanitarian missions on the Casus Pax Instagram or view their latest updates via the Casus Pax Facebook page.----------LINKS:https://casuspax.org/https://www.instagram.com/casuspax/https://www.facebook.com/p/Casus-Pax-100087930990574/https://buymeacoffee.com/casuspaxhttps://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cpaxukrainehttps://www.linkedin.com/company/casus-pax/?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://physicsworld.com/a/from-the-lab-to-ukraines-front-line/https://zp.edu.ua/all-news/treninhy-navychky-nadannia-pershoi-dopomohy-v-ekstrenykh-sytuatsiiakh/----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-malcolm-nancehttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-silicon-curtain----------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.----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Eugenia Kuznetsova is a Ukrainian writer, translator, media researcher, and language researcher. She was born and spent her childhood in Khomutyntsi, central Ukraine; studied at Kyiv National University; completed a PhD in literary analysis / intercultural studies at the University of Deusto in Spain; and has worked on media research, conflict-sensitive journalism, and research on disinformation and media environments in eastern Ukraine, including occupied territories. Kuznietsova has published five books:- Готуємо в журбі (or Cooking in Sorrow), 2020- Спитайте Мієчку (or Ask Miechka), 2021- Драбина (or Ladder), 2023- Мова-меч. Як говорила радянська імперія, 2023- Коротка історія українського борщу (or A Brief History of the Ukrainian Borscht, illustrated by Sofia Sulii)- Вівці цілі (or Whole Sheep), 2025----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@EugeniaKuznetsova1https://book.artarsenal.in.ua/en/guest-2023/eugenia-kuznetsova/https://kuznetsova.life/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevhenia_Kuznietsovahttps://chytomo.com/en/a-manual-for-interacting-with-ukrainians-3-bestsellers-from-eugenia-kuznetsova/https://euprizeliterature.eu/en/prize-author/eugenia-kuznetsova/https://www.patreon.com/kuznetsovalife----------"The Hidden Canon: Ukraine's Literary Iconoclasts" is a project backed by the Ukrainian Institute that unveils bold Ukrainian classics long hidden from international readers — writers who defied censorship, re-imagined cultural identity, and pushed the boundaries of art itself.https://kyivindependent.com/tag/hidden-canon/ The Ukrainian Institute has a mission to strengthen Ukraine internationally and domestically as a subject using the tools of cultural diplomacy. It promotes better knowledge and understanding of Ukraine internationally, and develops cultural relations between Ukraine and other countries. https://ui.org.ua/en/LINKS:https://pen.org.ua/en/members/volodymyr-sheikohttps://ui.org.ua/en/news-en/volodymyr-sheiko-was-re-elected-general-director-of-the-ukrainian-institute/https://www.britishcouncil.org.ua/en/lp-human-stories-en/volodymyr-sheiko-journeyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/volodymyr-sheiko-38870a4/https://x.com/UA_Institute----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Guest: SEAN M. WISWESSERCIA Senior Operations Officer (Ret.) / Consultant / Author and LecturerSean Wiswesser has thirty years of experience working as a national security professional with intelligence, foreign service, and defense organizations. He served on multiple overseas tours and many other deployments on temporary duty, including service in conflict zones and denied areas. He was a Chief of Station and had multiple joint-duty assignments with intelligence community partners. Sean currently consults for the Department of Defense for a number of companies, working on various programs, including weapons testing as well as intelligence support and training programs.Sean has been published with chapters in collaborative volumes with Army War College Press and Taylor and Francis (UK), as well as articles in the Journal of Small Wars and other publications. He has a column KREMLIN FILES with DC-based “The CIPHER Brief.” ----------BOOK:Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian intelligence and Putin’s Secret War (2026)Published by Naval Institute Press. Sean Wiswesserhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1682476014----------LINKS:----------ARTICLES:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/27/russian-spies-so-reckless-says-former-cia-operative/----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-malcolm-nancehttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-silicon-curtain----------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.----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:Former CIA senior operations officer Sean Wiswesser discusses his book and argues Russian intelligence is a central operating system of the Russian state, not a side tool of Putin. He says the West wrongly treated the post–Cold War intelligence confrontation as over while Moscow continued to view the U.S. as the main enemy, and he frames Putin’s Russia as a “thugocracy” driven by terror, coercion, corruption, and unbounded risk-taking in Europe, including assassination plots and sabotage.----------

Ksenia Iliuk is the co-founder and COO of LetsData, an AI-powered narrative-intelligence and influence-operation detection platform that tracks coordinated information threats across 50+ countries. She has over a decade of experience countering digital threats and has worked with European governments, NATO and EU-linked bodies on resilience against information warfare. She co-founded Lets Data in 2022, during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, drawing on Ukraine’s direct experience of wartime information warfare.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksenia-iliuk/https://letsdata.net/https://datainnovation.org/2025/10/5-qs-with-ksenia-iluik-co-founder-of-letsdata/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-malcolm-nancehttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-silicon-curtain----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Livestream with Yuri RashkinLINKS:https://rashkinreport.substack.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rashkin-report/id1183073638----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/50foruahttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-silicon-curtain----------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.----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------

Welcome to our monthly conversation with Konstantin, who is one of the most respected voices on YouTube about what is happening Inside Russia. Konstantin Samoilov is a well-known YouTuber whose channel ‘Inside Russia’ comments insightfully on Russia’s decent into authoritarianism over the last few years. But now, like many others, he’s outside Russia, with no idea of when he can return there.----------LINKS: @INSIDERUSSIA https://www.patreon.com/insiderussiaINSIDE RUSSIA is a source of current news on Russia - Konstantin carefully selects 9 news stories that are important and really matter, with commentaries and analyses by Konstantin delivered daily to channel patrons at Patreon.comGet your access to daily news updates at patreon.com/INSIDERUSSIA----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION: Kyiv Talk: Putin’s Cracking “Stability,” Elite Infighting, Mutiny Signals & Russia’s Fuel CrisisIn Kyiv, Jonathan speaks with Konstantin about signs that Putin’s long-built “stable” system is breaking, with internal conflict spilling into public view. Konstantin cites reported events including the detention and apparent record-erasure of Putin ally Ilya Traber, news that senator Lyudmila Narusova may be removed, and an unprecedented video ultimatum from an army sergeant that drew a public Kremlin response and an invitation to Moscow. They discuss the reported death of prominent Kremlin figure Sergei Ivanov and whether these developments indicate genuine factional pressure, staged pretext for a purge, or attempts to pierce Putin’s information bubble. The conversation also covers worsening fuel shortages across Russia, economic disruption affecting businesses and the coming harvest, Crimea’s reported blackouts, rationing, and evacuation traffic, and the broader irony that Russia’s invasion strengthened Ukraine’s military and identity while leaving Putin with few viable options.----------CHAPTERS: 00:31 Bulldogs Under the Rug01:46 Traber Arrest Shockwave04:52 Narusova Ousted Rumors05:51 Sergeant Mutiny Ultimatum08:34 Ivanov Death Bombshell11:27 Is It Real or Staged13:52 Putin in an Info Bubble18:19 Hiding Strikes From Russians20:49 Crimea Cut Off and Fleeing24:30 Fuel Crisis Hits Economy28:58 Putin Out of Options35:50 War Backfires on Russia40:13 Wrap Up and Next Steps----------

Malcolm Nance is a former career US Naval Intelligence officer specializing in counter-terrorism, intelligence and violent extremism. He has been an advisor to the US government’s law enforcement, Homeland Security and Intelligence agencies. As an Arabic-speaking special intelligence collections operator, field interrogator he provided top secret anti and counter-terrorism support to national intelligence agencies while on numerous reconnaissance and combat operations in the Balkans, Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. On April 18, 2022, Nance revealed that he had joined the Ukrainian Foreign Legion in March 2022. In an interview with Michael Harriot of The Guardian, Nance alluded to African-American military aviator Eugene Bullard's service in the French Foreign Legion to his service in Ukraine, hoping to inspire "African Americans and young Americans who have been in the military" and describing the International Legion as "the pantheon of the defense of democracy in the defense of Ukraine".----------BOOKS: The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our EnemiesImage of Hacking ISIS: How to Destroy the Cyber JihadThe Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to StealDefeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe----------LINKS:https://x.com/MalcolmNancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Nancehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolmnance/https://www.spymuseum.org/host-an-event/spy-speaker-series/malcolm-nance/https://us.macmillan.com/author/malcolmnance----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-malcolm-nancehttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/summer-sunshine-trucks-2026-silicon-curtain----------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.----------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----------

Jason Jay Smart is a political adviser who has lived and worked in Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Latin America. Due to his work with the democratic opposition to Vladimir Putin, Smart was made persona non grata for life by Russia in 2010. Jason is a Special Correspondent at the Kyiv Post. It’s the state of US support for Ukraine that we will discuss today.----------LINKS:https://jasonjaysmart.com/ https://www.kyivpost.com/authors/5 https://americanpoliticalservices.com/https://www.facebook.com/jasonjaysmarthttps://twitter.com/officejjsmart ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites SW26-218 | 2026-06-25 | We Haven't Started Yet. The empty-threat doctrine: Putin reaches for Istanbul 2022, and his ministers promise the "real" war – claiming once more that Russia “has only just started’ fighting – a claim that is getting hollower and more absurd by the day — while Moscow's own refinery burns and there is no hidden gear left to find.On the morning of 18 June, the largest drone raid of the entire war hit Moscow. Black smoke over the southern skyline. Soot raining onto the streets. The Kapotnya refinery — the plant that supplies roughly a third of the capital's fuel — on fire for the second time in a week. Vladimir Putin was 700 kilometres away in Kazan, smiling for the cameras at a summit with Southeast Asian leaders. He said nothing about the smoke.----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:----------

Dr. Joshua E. "Bugsy" Segal is Co-Founder and Vice President for Strategy and Innovation at Deft9 Solutions, a Washington-DC-based national security consultancy. He carries a PhD in Russian Studies from George Washington University. His career has run for more than thirty years across military, civilian, and intelligence positions in US national security. He served as a naval officer and retired in 2020 after a closing tour as a lead planner at US Special Operations Command, working on counter-WMD and great-power-competition requirements. Since retirement, Segal has worked as a senior national security consultant focused on information warfare, arms control, and hybrid warfare strategies. ----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-e-segal-phd-%E2%80%9Cbugsy%E2%80%9D-394752a7/https://www.fpri.org/contributor/joshua-segal/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

H. Perry Boyle Jr. is the CEO and co-founder of MITS Capital LLC — Military Innovation Technology Solutions — and chairman of MITS Industries, the Danish-Ukrainian defence-tech joint venture announced in September 2025. He divides his time between Kyiv and Ketchum, Idaho. Boyle came to Ukrainian defence technology from three decades on Wall Street. He held senior positions at SAC Capital and Point72 — where he served as head of equities and capital development, managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios across global markets. His co-founders are Denys Gurak (COO and CIO, former venture partner at FF Venture Capital) and Anton Melnyk (Founding Partner, Ukraine-based). The MITS Industries board co-chairs are a former NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment and a retired US Army Colonel with 26 years in defence and transatlantic security — that combination signals the political-strategic positioning Boyle has built around the firm.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/perryboyle/https://www.cnas.org/people/h-perry-boylehttps://mits.capital/team/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites SW26-217 | 2026-06-24 | Zelensky stops asking Lukashenko to stay out of the war — and starts counting down to the moment Ukraine removes the equipment Russia has placed on their territory to harm Ukraine, for him. He has been warned, but this warning also demonstrates a more muscular and confident approach from Ukraine. They are they only one globally who have shown the will and capacity to constrain and contain Russia and deliver consequences for its aggression.There is a clock counting down in Minsk now. It started on Friday. For four years and four months, the West has treated Alexander Lukashenko as a bystander to this war. A nervous neighbour. A man who lent Putin his territory once, in February 2022, watched the missiles fly out of his own country into Ukrainian apartment blocks, and then phoned Kyiv to apologise and explain it wasn't really his fault. The bystander narrative has been very convenient — for Lukashenko, for Moscow, and for every Western capital that would rather not think about NATO's longest land border with a hostile state, a willing puppet of the Kremlin’s ambitions. ----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "'A week will be enough' — Zelensky issues ultimatum to Lukashenko over drone-guidance equipment" (19 June 2026)UNITED24 Media — "'If He Does Not Do This, We Will': Zelenskyy Issues 7-Day Ultimatum to Lukashenko Over Border Military Tech" (19 June 2026)EUalive (via European Pravda) — "Zelenskyy issues ultimatum to Lukashenko: dismantle Russian drone retranslators or Ukraine will act" (20 June 2026)Yahoo News / Euronews wire — "Zelenskyy issues one-week ultimatum to Lukashenka over drone-guidance equipment" (20 June 2026): Censor.NET — "Zelenskyy issued an ultimatum to Lukashenko regarding relay stations" (19 June 2026)Charter97 — "Zelenskyy Issued An Ultimatum To Lukashenko" (19 June 2026)Kyiv Independent — "Ukraine denies Russian claim that Ukrainian drone struck bus carrying Belarusian children's football team" (17–18 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "Kyiv posts Russian document refuting claim that Ukrainian drone hit bus carrying Belarusian children" (18 June 2026)Euronews — "Bus with Belarus children's football team hit by a drone in Russia, Moscow claims" (17 June 2026)RFE/RL — "Ukraine Denies Russian Claims Of Strike On Bus Carrying Belarusian Children" (17 June 2026)Kyiv Post — "Ukraine Has 500 Targets Ready in Belarus if Lukashenko Joins War" (26 May 2026)----------

Silicon Bites Ep358 | 2026-06-24 | They stole it. They sunbathed on it. They shipped their children to it. Now the petrol's gone — and that, finally, is the thing that is forcing Russians to flee Crimea. Today: ISLAND CRIMEA. Sunday morning, the twenty-first of June. Nine o'clock local time. And across the entire occupied Crimean Peninsula, the petrol pumps stop. Not rationed. Not coupon-only. Stopped. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin's man in Simferopol, posts the order to Telegram: from this hour, fuel goes only to the state. Petrol will be sold solely to the government agencies that keep the peninsula running and secure — and to nobody else. Not to you. Not to your car. Not to the tourist stranded sixty kilometres from a working tank.This is the prize Vladimir Putin seized in 2014 and called forever Russian. The sunlit trophy. The symbol of resurgent empire. And on a summer Sunday it cannot fill a single civilian fuel tank. Tonight: how Ukraine turned a trophy into an island, an asset into a liability — and why people who holidayed on stolen land will be stopped not by conscience, but by queue.----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:AFP / The Moscow Times — Ukrainian Strikes on Russian-Annexed Crimea Kill 4, Pause Fuel Sales (21 Jun 2026)Associated Press / NPR — Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales (21 Jun 2026)Associated Press / CBC News — Russian-held Crimea halts civilian gasoline sales following Ukrainian attacks (21 Jun 2026)Bloomberg — Russia-Occupied Crimea Halts Fuel Sales After Ukrainian Attacks (21 Jun 2026)Euronews — Russian-occupied Crimea suspends petrol sales amid fuel crisis (21 Jun 2026)Reuters / U.S. News — Crimea Suspends Children's Summer Camps as Ukraine Strikes Squeeze Fuel Supplies (22 Jun 2026)Kyiv Independent — Children's camps in Crimea suspend arrivals as security concerns rose after Ukrainian drone strikes (22 Jun 2026)Kyiv Independent — Ukraine destroys key logistics bridge in Crimea, hits over 60 Russian military targets overnight (23 Jun 2026)Kyiv Independent — 'Hell is beginning' — Ukraine could isolate occupied Crimea as drone strikes disrupt logistics, Fedorov says (17 Jun 2026)Ukrainska Pravda (English) — Crimea will become isolated due to Ukrainian drone strikes, Ukraine's defence minister says (17 Jun 2026)----------

David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone’ podcast @NoDelusionZone is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians.----------LINKS:@NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://www.protectingtherepublic.com/https://substack.com/@protectingtherepublichttps://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------

Silicon Bites Ep357 | 2026-06-22 | When the island runs dry: how Ukraine turned Putin's crown jewel into his most exposed nerve — an Achilles heel rather than a strategic asset – and why the pumps going dry on Russia Day's weekend is the moment the myth of Putin’s invincibility died. At nine o'clock this morning, in occupied Crimea, the petrol stopped. Not only rationed. Not accepting coupon-only. Not capped at twenty litres. Stopped entirely. The panic has truly set in. The Kremlin's man on the peninsula, Sergey Aksyonov, posted to Telegram that from 09:00 on Sunday 21 June, fuel would be sold to nobody — not for cash, not by card, not on a voucher, not to a private citizen, not to a business. Only the state gets to refuel now. This of course puts the military requirements above the population. Absolutely standard for Russia. ----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:Euronews — Russian-occupied Crimea suspends petrol sales amid fuel crisis (21 June 2026)The Moscow Times — Ukrainian Strikes on Russian-Annexed Crimea Kill 4, Pause Fuel Sales (21 June 2026)Bloomberg — Russia-Occupied Crimea Halts Fuel Sales After Ukrainian Attacks (21 June 2026)WRAL / AP — Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales (21 June 2026)The New Voice of Ukraine — Fuel sales halted in occupied Crimea as fire burns at Kerch fuel terminal (21 June 2026)The New Voice of Ukraine — Explosions reported across occupied Crimea amid large drone attack (21 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — Explosions reported in occupied Crimea, fires break out in Kerch (21 June 2026)LIGA.net — Video of the attacks on the Port of Kerch on June 21, 2026 (21 June 2026)Kyiv Independent — Oil terminal, port infrastructure reportedly set ablaze on both sides of Kerch Strait (21 June 2026)Kyiv Independent — Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil, gas sites in Crimea and Siberia (20 June 2026)Kyiv Independent — 'Hell is beginning' — Ukraine could isolate occupied Crimea, Fedorov says (17 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — Crimea will become isolated due to Ukrainian drone strikes, Ukraine's defence minister says (17 June 2026)----------

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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Joe Lindsley is a traveler and a writer, and American reporting from Ukraine throughout Russia's full-scale war. Joe is founder and host of Under Fire News (UFN), whose mission is to enable cooperation among innovators, investors, and defenders of freedom, and of course advance the cause of Ukraine in its defence of freedom and independence. He once was protégé to Fox News founder Roger Ailes, but Lindsley escaped that frenzied world where power mattered more than truth. He came to Lviv for a Ukrainian Catholic University journalism conference on Information Overload, AI, and Responsibility. Then the Coronavirus shut down world travel, and he stayed to build a better vision for the media industry.----------LINKS:https://underfire.news/https://underfirenews.substack.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lindsleyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-lindsley-60087618/https://twitter.com/JPLindsleyhttps://www.instagram.com/jplindsley/https://www.facebook.com/josephlindsley----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep356 | 2026-06-20 | On 12 June 2026, Vyacheslav Markhayev — Communist Party of the Russian Federation, sitting State Duma deputy, former Buryat OMON riot-police commander, former colonel of the Russian Interior Ministry — published a Telegram statement that, by the standards of the Russian state in 2026, should have produced an immediate Article 280.3 dissemination-of-false-information prosecution. Cross-confirmed across Meduza (12 June 2026), The Moscow Times (12 June 2026), Kyiv Post (12 June 2026), Novaya Gazeta Europe (12 June 2026), the statement read in part — and we paraphrase to preserve the substance:----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:Michael Naki — long-form video analysis of 18 June 2026Meduza English — "Communist Party lawmaker warns Russia is 'on the brink of a social explosion' and demands a 'clear plan' to end the war" (12 June 2026) The Moscow Times — Markhayev statement coverage (12 June 2026).Kyiv Post — "Russian Lawmaker Warns of 'Social Explosion' Amid War Losses, Demands 'Public Plan' to End War" (12 June 2026).Eurasia Review — "Russia 'On Brink Of Social Explosion' Because Of Kremlin Policies Over The Last 25 Years – OpEd" (14 June 2026) Novaya Gazeta Europe — Markhayev statement and Russian-language criticism coverage (12 June 2026).The Moscow Times via Charter97 and Dagens.com — VTsIOM stopped publishing the open Putin trust rating after it fell to 29.5% in early April 2026; methodology change to door-to-door canvassing in mid-May 2026; closed-rating still at ~73% (8 June 2026).Mezha (Bukvy) — "VTsIOM halted open Putin approval rating after it fell below 30%" — methodology comparison between open recall and direct trust polling.Kyiv Independent — "Russian pollster stops publishing Putin's 'open trust' figures as ratings slide" (8 June 2026).Kyiv Independent — "Leaked Kremlin reports predict rising dissatisfaction with Putin, Zelensky claims" (14 June 2026)Kyiv Post — "Leaked Forecasts: Putin Faces Soaring Disapproval Ahead of Fall Elections" (14 June 2026)Janis Kluge via Yahoo / Daily Mail — Q1 2026 military spending analysis: 5.9 trillion rubles = 46% of federal budget = 30% YoY increase; military = two-thirds of revenues; oil/gas revenues -45% YoY; classified-spending category +40% to 40% of all expenditure; 12% of GDP per quarter on war.----------

David Satter is a journalist and historian with unique insights into how the deformation and repression of the past, is having terrible consequences for present day Russia. David has written extensively about Russia and the Soviet Union, especially the decline and fall of the USSR and rise of post-Soviet Russia. David Satter became the first American journalist to be expelled from Russia since the Cold War in December 2013. This was perhaps not a surprising move, given that his books have covered topics such as the FSB’s role in the apartment bombings that brought Putin to power. From 1976 to 1982 David was the Moscow correspondent of the Financial Times, and then became a special correspondent on Soviet affairs for The Wall Street Journal. He is currently a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a fellow of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. ----------BOOKS:He is author of several books that are essential reading to help understand the origins of the current crisis, including the brilliantly named books: - It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway- Darkness at Dawn: The Rise of the Russian Criminal State- The Less You Know, The Better You Sleep----------LINKS:https://davidsatter.com/https://twitter.com/davidsatter?lang=enhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Satterhttps://www.hudson.org/experts/362-david-satterhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/david-satter/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/authors/david-satter----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep355 | 2026-06-19 | A communist deputy from Buryatia has just told Putin the country is on the brink of a social explosion. How did it come to this, when Kyiv was supposed to fall in 3 days? No sirens, no shelters, no truth: why the Russian state no longer protects its own people, why the Z-bloggers are being forced to cover it up.On the morning of Thursday 18 June 2026, approximately 200 Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace heading for Moscow. The Russian capital has the most concentrated, most layered, most expensive air-defence architecture in the world — A-135M, S-400, S-300PM2, Pantsir-S1, Tor-M2, with Pantsirs mounted on the roofs of the Foreign and Defence Ministry buildings in the city centre. Three to four concentric defensive rings around Moscow itself.----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:----------

Silicon Bites Ep354 | 2026-06-18 | Where is Nabiullina? — Russia’s central banker vanishes, triggering rumours and uncertainty. Two weeks of unexplained absence, surrounding a figure that has done more than anyone else to keep Putin war economy going, through 4+ years of full-scale war in Europe. She supposedly didn’t attend SPIEF, and an important rate cut has been signalled without her presence. Nabiullina was the most strategically consequential enabler of Putin’s war, and she has not been seen in public since 28 May. So, the rumours go, she reached a red line in service of Putin’s regime, beyond which she was not prepared to go. And no, that red line did not involve the industrial slaughter of Ukrainians. The limit for her was apparently a proposed closing of the Russian border under the auspices of martial law. Could this be a sign that Putin is about to crank his senseless war into a new phase – full mobilisation of the Russian herd population? A final effort to shovel everyone into the meat grinder? ----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:Reuters via WTAQ / KELO / Global Banking and Finance — "Putin signals key rate cuts as his central banker is on sick leave" (10 June 2026) Meduza English — "Russia's Central Bank chief disappears from public view as resignation rumors swirl; one report links her future to fears of border closures and martial law" (11 June 2026) Meduza English — "Russian Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina misses Putin's interest rate meeting — and hasn't been seen in public for a week" (10 June 2026)English Pravda — "Russian Central Bank Chief Disappears from Public Eye, Sparks Conspiracy Theories" (11 June 2026) NV / The New Voice of Ukraine — "Russian central bank head Nabiullina vanishes from public life" (11 June 2026) Nasha Niva English — "In Russia, Nabiullina and Mishustin are expected to be dismissed, and a transition to a 'mobilization economy' is anticipated" (11 June 2026) Dagens.com — "Putin's top banker has disappeared — she hasn't been seen for over a week" (11 June 2026) Reuters Exclusive via Yahoo News — "Putin's central banker Nabiullina will serve until 2027 despite attacks, sources say" (November 2025)The Moscow Times via Mozhem Obyasnit + Vyorstka — "Russia Readies Border Closures for Military-Aged Men – Reports" (26 September 2022) ----------

​ @ricktheukrainian is from Ukraine, and every Sunday gets together with his community online (the Rick Rollers), to make video content and raise funds for the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Rick is originally from Makiivka in the Donetsk area, and lived under Russian occupation for several years following the 2014 invasion of Crimea and Donbas. His weekly streams are attended by different Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian guests. He talks about the Russian war against Ukraine and its culture, music and historic places. Rick translates and dubs Zolkin and Karpenko's interviews with Russian POWs into English, making them accessible to a Western audience, and providing extraordinary insights into the Russian mindset.----------LINKS:YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ricktheukrainianhttps://www.myminiauction.com/rickrollersauctions#item-167128Buy Me a Coffee (or become a member): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ricktheukr/membership----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep354 | 2026-06-18 | Moscow Burns While Ukraine Seizes the Initiative. The Russian State Tries to Censor the Reality on Its Own Streets. Moscow under fire – the attack on the Pechersk Lavra now has a response. Ukraine has reversed Russian momentum on the battlefield through drone-innovation scale, and Zelenskyy says publicly that Ukraine is seizing the initiative. The numbers are unambiguous. The images are specular. Moscow is burning. Everyone can see it, hear it. The evidence of failed air defence, failing security, and the impotence of their demi-god Tsar is not obvious for all to see. Finally, a black rains gonna fall on Moscow. ----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:Council on Foreign Relations — "How Ukraine's Drone Innovation Reversed Russia's Momentum" by Michael C. Horowitz and Erin D. Dumbacher (12 June 2026) RBC-Ukraine — daily war updates including Russia's losses as of 16 June (+1,230 troops, +2,000 drones), Sea Trident underwater drone unveiling, long-range AI interceptor drone NYT coverage, assault-rifle-equipped security drone, Zelenskyy "seizing initiative" remarks.Kyiv Independent — Gukovo oil depot fire (18 June 2026)Critical Threats (ISW) / Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment (February 2026)Euromaidan Press — Russian state TV coverage of "largest Moscow attack of the war under a minute" (18 June 2026 reporting).Institute for the Study of War (ISW) via RBC-Ukraine summary — "Russia fakes Kostiantynivka capture as reality tells a different story" (16 June 2026); "Putin had two goals in attack on Kyiv's historic monastery" (16 June 2026).----------

Volodymyr Sheiko is the Director General of the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine’s national cultural-diplomacy institution operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He became the Institute’s first Director General and was re-elected in 2021. Before leading the Institute, he worked for the British Council in Ukraine, where he was involved in arts management, cultural programming, communications, and international cultural cooperation.His work sits at the intersection of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy, literature, translation, decolonisation, memory politics, and resistance to Russian imperial narratives. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Sheiko has become one of the clearest voices arguing that culture is not peripheral to Ukraine’s survival. For him, literature, language, translation, archives, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions are part of the same struggle as the military front: the defence of Ukraine’s right to exist as a sovereign civilisation.----------The Ukrainian Institute has a mission to strengthen Ukraine internationally and domestically as a subject using the tools of cultural diplomacy. It promotes better knowledge and understanding of Ukraine internationally, and develops cultural relations between Ukraine and other countries. https://ui.org.ua/en/LINKS:https://pen.org.ua/en/members/volodymyr-sheikohttps://ui.org.ua/en/news-en/volodymyr-sheiko-was-re-elected-general-director-of-the-ukrainian-institute/https://www.britishcouncil.org.ua/en/lp-human-stories-en/volodymyr-sheiko-journeyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/volodymyr-sheiko-38870a4/https://x.com/UA_Institute----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep352 | 2026-06-16 | Fifteen kilometres from the Kremlin: thirty-six hours after the Pechersk Lavra burned, Ukraine hits the heart of Moscow’s fuel economy, striking a vast oil refinery that services the imperial capital. Breaking: 16 June 2026 — coordinated Ukrainian strike on Moscow oil refinery in the Kapotnya district damages the ELOU avt-6 primary distillation unit; 500-kilometre range; all four major Moscow airports forced to suspend operations; about 60 drones intercepted in what TASS calls one of the largest barrages on the capital all year; Zelensky confirms the strike on his way to the G7; the response to the Lavra strike was always going to come — and the timing is perfect. Ukraine comes to the international summit with a full deck of cards. ----------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.----------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.org----------SOURCES:RBC-Ukraine — "Drones strike Moscow's largest oil refinery" (16 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Ukrainian Drones Hit Moscow Oil Refinery Supplying 40% of Capital Region's Fuel" (16 June 2026) Bloomberg — "Ukraine Strikes Moscow Oil Refinery in Latest Drone Attack on Russia" (16 June 2026) Kyiv Post — "Moscow Refinery, Krasnodar Oil Depot Burning in Massive Ukrainian Drone Raid" (16 June 2026) ABC News — "Moscow mayor says dozens of Ukrainian drones downed in attack on Russian capital" (16 June 2026) Euronews — "Moscow oil refinery ablaze after retaliatory Ukrainian drone strike" (16 June 2026)Interfax Ukraine — "Defense forces strike Moscow oil refinery and design bureau in Tula" (16 June 2026) UNN (Ukrainian News Network) — "General Staff confirmed the strike on the Moscow Oil Refinery and more" (16 June 2026) Mezha (Bukvy) — "Ukrainian special forces struck Moscow refinery, causing major fire" (16 June 2026) MSN / Daily Mail wire — "Ukrainian drone attacks spark fires at Moscow refinery and Krasnodar region fuel depot" (16 June 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Moscow oil refinery burns after Ukrainian drone strike - Details emerge" (16 June 2026)----------

Today I’m speaking with Operator Starsky, a former Ukrainian National Guardian, blogger, and inspiration for everyone who is following the war, and supporting a Ukrainian victory. He has created one of the most popular and original YouTube channels dedicated to the international community. I’m not sure you need an introduction – I’m sure most people watching this channel will have seen your videos! ----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@PropagandaStudyInstitutehttp://psi-eu.org/https://www.youtube.com/@StarskyUA----------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.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------CHAPTERS: ----------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.org----------

Silicon Bites Ep352 | 2026-06-16 | This is the doctrine. The doctrine is the Empire of Savages. Savagery in this analytical frame is not the absence of values. Savagery is the active deployment of an alternative value system that treats the protections of international humanitarian law, the heritage of pluralistic civilisation, the existence of the autonomous nation, and the sanctity of religious and cultural sites as enemy property to be destroyed. The Russian state has not failed to understand the laws of war. The Russian state has rejected them — actively, doctrinally, and operationally — in favour of an alternative imperial framework that celebrates the destruction of pluralistic heritage as the restoration of properly-Russian civilisational primacy. It is still a crime. The vertical mindset— the vertikal, the Russian-imperial framework of centralised authoritarian rule under a single sovereign — is the political-structural correlate of this doctrinal framework. In the vertical mindset, values do not exist as independent constraints on power. Values exist only insofar as they serve the sovereign's project. Ukrainian democracy, Ukrainian pluralism, Ukrainian European-civilisational orientation are, in this framework, not alternative legitimate value systems. They are contempt-worthy errors that the sovereign's project is justified in correcting through violence. The Russian state's contempt for Ukraine — visible in every speech, every targeting decision, every cultural-heritage strike — is operationally informed by the perceived inferiority of pluralistic-democratic values of the West and Ukraine compared to the vertical-imperial framework.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra burns as large-scale Russian strikes kill 5, injure 29 in capital" (15 June 2026) Türkiye Today — "Russian attack sets fire to Ukraine's holiest UNESCO-listed site, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra" (15 June 2026) NPR / Associated Press — "Russian attack sets fire to religious site in Kyiv, kills 5 in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) NBC News — "Russian attacks fuel blaze at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Massive Russian Strike on Kyiv At Least Kills Five, Injures Dozens, Ignites Fire at Historic Pechersk Lavra Monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Five Ukrainian First Responders Killed in Russian Double-Tap Strike on Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) CNN — "Ukraine's historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery set on fire following major Russian attack" (15 June 2026) Al Jazeera — "Russian attacks in Ukraine kill nine, damage historic Kyiv cathedral" (15 June 2026)AP via WSB Radio — "Russian attack sets fire to centuries-old religious site in Kyiv and kills rescuers in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) Ukrainska Pravda English — "Large fire at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra extinguished, Mystetskyi Arsenal still burning" (15 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda English — "Fire breaks out at Mystetskyi Arsenal art museum following Russian attack" (15 June 2026) NV / The New Voice of Ukraine — "Mass Russian drone strike damages ----------

2026-06-15 | UPDATES #215 | EMPIRE OF SAVAGES: The Pechersk Lavra Burns, Five Kharkiv Rescuers Die in a Double-Tap, the Largest Ukrainian Costume Collection in History Is Incinerated — and the West Watches Russia Cross the Final Threshold of Cultural Erasure in a Single Night. Who dares still invoke Great Russia culture, when it’s whole economy, industry, working population and military is single-mindedly focused on one thing – the attempted erasure of Ukraine and its culture. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra burns as large-scale Russian strikes kill 5, injure 29 in capital" (15 June 2026) Türkiye Today — "Russian attack sets fire to Ukraine's holiest UNESCO-listed site, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra" (15 June 2026) NPR / Associated Press — "Russian attack sets fire to religious site in Kyiv, kills 5 in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) NBC News — "Russian attacks fuel blaze at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Massive Russian Strike on Kyiv At Least Kills Five, Injures Dozens, Ignites Fire at Historic Pechersk Lavra Monastery" (15 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Five Ukrainian First Responders Killed in Russian Double-Tap Strike on Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) CNN — "Ukraine's historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery set on fire following major Russian attack" (15 June 2026) Al Jazeera — "Russian attacks in Ukraine kill nine, damage historic Kyiv cathedral" (15 June 2026)AP via WSB Radio — "Russian attack sets fire to centuries-old religious site in Kyiv and kills rescuers in Kharkiv" (15 June 2026) Ukrainska Pravda English — "Large fire at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra extinguished, Mystetskyi Arsenal still burning" (15 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda English — "Fire breaks out at Mystetskyi Arsenal art museum following Russian attack" (15 June 2026) NV / The New Voice of Ukraine — "Mass Russian drone strike damages National Mystetskyi Arsenal complex in Kyiv" (15 June 2026) Kyiv Post — "681 Aerial Weapons: Russia Hits Kyiv, Leaving 4 Dead, Kills 5 Rescuers in Kharkiv Double Strike" (15 June 2026) Interfax Ukraine — "Zelenskyy: Targeted Russia attack on Lavra and Mystetskyi Arsenal area confirmed" (15 June 2026) UNN (Ukrainian News Network) — "Fire extinguished on the roof of a church in the Lavra after a Russian attack; aviation deployed" (15 June 2026)Yahoo News / Ukrinform archive — "Kyiv's Caves Monastery damaged in Russian attack" (January 2024 historical context) EU Today — "Russia's Strike on Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Turns Ukraine's Air War Into Europe's Heritage Test" (15 June 2026) ----------

Anna Danylchuk has been creating a war diary since the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. Anna Danylchuk aims to tell the truth about Ukraine and Russia’s war and cut through the noise and propaganda. Anna is passionate about the beauty and independence of her country, and communicates this powerfully in her videos, in a clear and honest way.----------LINKS: @AnnafromUkraine https://www.buymeacoffee.com/annafromukraineMy interview with Anna in Lviv - hosted on her excellent channel- https://youtu.be/daHcnsNQ1S0?si=yHbZ2kJZ3CTVRd8Z----------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.----------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/----------DESCRIPTION:Anna from Ukraine on Russia’s Cultural Terror, NATO Threats, and Kyiv’s Strategy to Defeat the KremlinJonathan interviews Anna from Ukraine about her recent conversation with Peter Pomerantsev at the Lviv Media Forum and why Ukraine has become uniquely prepared to take meaningful action against Russia. Anna argues Ukraine’s resolve comes from living the reality of full-scale war, losing the ability to plan, and focusing on immediate, practical defense and offense. They discuss Russia’s escalating terror strikes on Ukrainian cultural heritage sites including Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and Kharkiv Museum of Art, the symbolism of cultural erasure, and skepticism that the White House will respond adequately. Anna warns intelligence services’ reports of potential Russian attacks on NATO states are serious and describes hybrid tactics like drones and missiles against infrastructure to test alliance cohesion. She outlines Ukraine’s strategy: deprive Russia of resources by striking logistics, fuel, arsenals, and fleets until Russia cannot continue the war.----------CHAPTERS:00:42 Lviv Forum Insights03:25 Ukraine’s Will to Fight06:26 NATO Next Target09:52 Appeasement Failures11:45 Cultural Terror Signal16:01 Why West Won’t Respond18:40 Ukraine Strikes Back22:00 Trump World Enablers28:49 How Russia Stops31:08 Strategy to Drain Resources----------

2026-06-14 | UPDATES #214 | The Institute for the Study of War has formalised the analytical framework that explains why the campaign is achieving its current operational tempo. ISW's June 2026 analysis, as cited by the AP wire reporting: the long-range strike campaign is therefore reducing Russia's production capacity, while the midrange strike campaign is hurting Russia's ability to transport the gasoline Russia is still able to produce.This is what that doctrine means operationally. Long-range strikes — like the 1,500-kilometre reach to Salavat in Bashkortostan, the 1,700-km reach demonstrated against southern Russian targets, the Kotovo and Saratov-region pumping nodes — destroy production capacity. The refinery cannot be quickly rebuilt. The AVT units take months to replace. The destroyed production is gone from the market for the duration of the rebuild.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES:Associated Press via US News & World Report — "Ukraine Hits Fuel Supplies to Crimea, Sparking a Fuel Crisis on the Russian-Held Peninsula" (11 June 2026) Washington Times via AP — "Ukraine strikes fuel supplies to Crimea, sparking a fuel crisis on the Russian-held peninsula" (12 June 2026) The Moscow Times — "Annexed Crimea's Largest Gas Station Chain Suspends Fuel Vouchers as Shortage Worsens" (1 June 2026) AP via AOL — "Parts of Russia run dry as Ukraine's drone strikes hit oil refineries" — Far East and Crimea most affected; A-95 ~50% above January levels on St Petersburg Mercantile Exchange; Primorye 78 rubles/liter; online resellers 220 rubles/liter; Kuril Islands A-92 halt; Crimea coupon-only sales; gas-station rationing landscapeKyiv Post — "Ukraine Marks Russia Day With Massive Drone Raid on Key Oil Refineries in Tatarstan and Samara" (12 June 2026)Kyiv Post — "Deep Pipeline Strike: Ukraine's Drone Campaign Cripples Vital Volgograd Oil Hub" (13 June 2026)Ukrinform — "War | Daily situation report" (13 June 2026) Kyiv Independent — "Ukraine strikes Russia's oil depot, radar station, other military targets, General Staff confirms" (10 June 2026)BBC Verify / BBC Russian — "Surge in Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries sparks Russian fuel shortages" (2025-2026) Kyiv Independent — "Key Russian oil pipeline node hit in massive Ukrainian drone barrage" (May 2026) Reuters / Yahoo via AOL — "Russia's Saratov oil refinery erupts in flames as Ukraine drone attacks intensify" (May 2026)----------

Dr Alex Fergusson is a UK-based composites and unmanned-systems specialist, Ukraine supporter, and prominent NAFO figure. He is best known in the Ukraine-support community as “Nother Alex Fergusson Fella” and describes himself online as a NAFO SquaDrone Leader and Fella, an “ardent supporter” of Ukraine, and a mechanics-of-composite-materials / nanocomposites specialist. Professionally, Fergusson’s background is in advanced composite materials, aerospace structures, and drone/UAS design. He is a PhD-level lecturer at Imperial College London, founder of FAC Technology, with publications in composites and material characterisation.Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Fergusson has become an outspoken advocate for Ukrainian victory, with a particular focus on the fast-evolving role of FPV drones, autonomous systems, electronic warfare resilience, composite airframes, and UK–Ukrainian defence-tech cooperation. In LinkedIn posts, he has discussed FAC Technology’s “Ghosts of The Few” and “Ghost Squadron Leader” UAS concepts, including Ukrainian-made versions, larger FPV drones, EW-hardened communications, and work with Ukrainian partners such as Drone Space / Dronarnia.----------LINKS: https://x.com/nother_fella2https://www.instagram.com/alexanderfergussonhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander-Fergussonhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexander-fergusson-9b95021_kseniia-kalmus-alex-fergusson-drone-event-activity-7261031593681567744-4fZ5https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J31yASWIQvo&vl=en "Ukraine's fastest-evolving weapon: drones explained ..."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3K9me18dVo "Kseniia Kalmus & Alex Fergusson Drone Event"----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep351 | 2026-06-14 | OUT OF GAS: Russia Day 2026 Arrived with Empty Pumps, a 230-Drone Raid That Destroyed Samara's Kuibyshev Refinery, the Worst Crimean Fuel Crisis Since the 2014 Annexation, and a War That Has Stopped Being Something Russians Could Ignore. Happy Russia Day, swamp empire. Your days are numbered, as are those of the killer Putin. Breaking: 11–13 June 2026 — The Crimea fuel crisis hits its tourist-season inflection point on Russia Day; Ukraine's Russia Day raid lands 230 drones on Samara, Tatarstan, and Tolyatti and destroys AVT-4 and AVT-5 at the Kuibyshev refinery; the 13 June Kotovo and Tamanneftegas strikes extend the campaign into the Volgograd pumping network and the southern LPG export terminals; the Institute for the Study of War describes the dual-strike doctrine — and Russia's army runs out of momentum at the same moment its fuel system runs dry.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:Associated Press via US News & World Report — "Ukraine Hits Fuel Supplies to Crimea, Sparking a Fuel Crisis on the Russian-Held Peninsula" (11 June 2026) Washington Times via AP — "Ukraine strikes fuel supplies to Crimea, sparking a fuel crisis on the Russian-held peninsula" (12 June 2026) The Moscow Times — "Annexed Crimea's Largest Gas Station Chain Suspends Fuel Vouchers as Shortage Worsens" (1 June 2026) AP via AOL — "Parts of Russia run dry as Ukraine's drone strikes hit oil refineries" — Far East and Crimea most affected; A-95 ~50% above January levels on St Petersburg Mercantile Exchange; Primorye 78 rubles/liter; online resellers 220 rubles/liter; Kuril Islands A-92 halt; Crimea coupon-only sales; gas-station rationing landscapeKyiv Post — "Ukraine Marks Russia Day With Massive Drone Raid on Key Oil Refineries in Tatarstan and Samara" (12 June 2026)Kyiv Post — "Deep Pipeline Strike: Ukraine's Drone Campaign Cripples Vital Volgograd Oil Hub" (13 June 2026)Ukrinform — "War | Daily situation report" (13 June 2026) Kyiv Independent — "Ukraine strikes Russia's oil depot, radar station, other military targets, General Staff confirms" (10 June 2026)BBC Verify / BBC Russian — "Surge in Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries sparks Russian fuel shortages" (2025-2026) Kyiv Independent — "Key Russian oil pipeline node hit in massive Ukrainian drone barrage" (May 2026) Reuters / Yahoo via AOL — "Russia's Saratov oil refinery erupts in flames as Ukraine drone attacks intensify" (May 2026)----------

Olena Halushka is a is a board member of the Ukrainian NGO “Anti-corruption Action Centre”, and co-founder of the International Centre for Ukrainian Victory. She has also worked as a chief of international advocacy at the post-Maidan coalition of 80 CSOs “Reanimation Package of Reforms”. Olena is a contributor to the Atlantic Council, Kyiv Independent. She has also written op-eds for the Washington Post, the Foreign Policy, and the EU Observer – but it’s a major article she wrote for the UK’s Guardian newspaper that we’ll be discussing today.----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/OlenaHalushka https://twitter.com/AntAC_ua https://twitter.com/ICUVua https://www.linkedin.com/in/olena-halushka-b7342259/?originalSubdomain=ua https://ukrainianvictory.org/experts/olena-halushka/ https://www.fpri.org/contributor/olena-halushka/https://cepa.org/author/olena-halushka/https://archive.kyivpost.com/author/olena-halushkahttps://foreignpolicy.com/author/olena-halushka/----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

2026-06-13 | UPDATES #213 | How Putin’s regime ends: the Abramovich Kyiv mission, the Beria precedent and why a chasm is opening between Putin, reality and his elites. 10 June 2026 — the most strategically consequential diplomatic event of the spring of 2026 was held in a Kyiv residence on 21 may, was disclosed by Putin himself at SPIEF on 5 June, and has now re-written the Russian elite's decisional arithmetic. But we must ask, is Abramovich negotiating on behalf of Putin, or the elites that may increasingly be diverging from him, in terms of their perceived interests. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Financial Times (via Ukrainska Pravda English) — "Zelenskyy proposed meeting to Putin via Abramovich – Financial Times" (7 June 2026) Kyiv Independent — "Zelensky asked Russian oligarch Abramovich to send message to Putin on peace talks" (8 June 2026) Kyiv Post — "Zelensky Confirms Abramovich Came to Kyiv in May, Carried Messages to Putin Including Ceasefire Offer" (8 June 2026) Kyiv Post — "Abramovich Delivered Putin Message on Possible Talks Framework to Kyiv, Zelensky Says" (9 June 2026) Censor.NET — "Zelenskyy confirmed Abramovich's visit in May" (8 June 2026) Michael Naki (YouTube) — "ПУТИН ВЫБЕСИЛ СВОЮ ЭЛИТУ. Абрамович — лишь начало" / "Putin Has Enraged His Elite. Abramovich Is Just the Beginning" (early June 2026)Financial Times (background reporting, 2022; recapitulated in current FT coverage) Time magazine archive — "Russia: At the Kremlin Corral" (reproducing 1953-period coverage) Babel — "71 years ago, the bloody Soviet KGB leader Lavrentiy Beria lost his chance to lead the USSR" (June 2025) History Today — "Lavrenti Beria Executed" — Beria's improbable post-Stalin push for liberalization "that went further than colleagues were ready for"; Presidium hastily convened 26 June 1953; Khrushchev "blistering attack" with British intelligence accusations; "lethal plot was hatched against him"Soviet History MSU archive — "Succession to Stalin" — "Alarmed at Beria's growing prominence and control of the police, Khrushchev conspired with Malenkov and several other presidium members to arrange for Beria's arrest at the hands of the military"; 26 June 1953 plot execution; secret trial and 24 December 1953 execution----------

2026-06-11 | UPDATES #212 | PILLAR OF FIRE IN DAGESTAN: A Russian Trunk Gas Pipeline Just Burned in Kizilyurt — and It Wasn't Just Any Pipeline. It Was the Spine of the Russia-Iran Energy Axis. 9–10 June 2026 — Three Explosions on the 1,200-m Mozdok-Kazimagomed Trunk Line, Pillar of Fire Visible for Kilometres, 140 Civilians Evacuated, the Kremlin Calls It a "Technical Failure," and the Strategic Implications Reach All the Way to Tehran.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: RBC-Ukraine — "Dagestan gas pipeline fire - Major pipeline ignites" (9 June 2026)UNN (Ukrainian News Network) / Ukraine Today — "A powerful explosion occurred on a main gas pipeline in Dagestan, a pillar of fire rose into the sky" (9 June 2026) Mezha / Ukrinform — "Disinformation center releases footage of gas pipeline fire in Dagestan" (9 June 2026, 22:33)Ukrinform — "Explosion reported on gas pipeline in Dagestan" (10 June 2026)Caucasian Knot (Kavkazskiy Uzel English) — "The cause of the fire on the Mozdok-Kazimagomed gas pipeline has been revealed" (10 June 2026) Wikipedia — "Mozdok–Makhachkala–Kazi Magomed pipeline" — 680 km natural gas pipeline; from Mozdok in North Ossetia through Chechnya and Dagestan to Kazi Magomed in Azerbaijan; commissioned 1983; operated by SOCAR and Gazprom; maximum discharge 13 billion cubic meters per year; Azerbaijani section known as Kazi Magomed–Novo Filya or Baku–Novo Filya; Novo Filya gas-metering utility at Russian side of Azerbaijan-Russia border; 2010 reverse-flow Azerbaijani gas to Russia agreement; 1970s Iranian gas supply to southern Caucasus Soviet republics historical contextSputnik News / Global Security archive — "300 Million Cubic Meters a Day? Russia-Iran Pipeline Promises Major Energy Boost" (January 2025)Press TV / Global Security archive — "Iran, Russia agree to transfer gas via Azerbaijan: Minister" (26 April 2025)Andrew Korybko / Substack — "Russia Might Soon Redirect Its Gas Pipeline Plans From China To Iran & India" (early 2026)Silicon Curtain editorial archive — Davydov Balashikha Car Bomb June 2026 Script (9 June 2026)Wikipedia — "2023 Makhachkala gas station explosion" (14 August 2023, historical context)----------

Livestream with Yuri RashkinLINKS:https://rashkinreport.substack.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rashkin-report/id1183073638----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------

Livestream with Yuri RashkinLINKS:https://rashkinreport.substack.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rashkin-report/id1183073638----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------

Marathon fundraisers for: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.----------Easter Pysanky Trucks 2026https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-trucks-2026Silicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampireshttps://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires?project=Jonathan%20Fink%20for%20Kupiansk%20Vampires----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/iwihttps://www.patreon.com/iwi----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/iwiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iwi/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/iwiPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/iwiBuy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/iwi----------

On the night of May 23 to 24, Russia destroyed the apartment of our author Artem Zakharchenko. Fortunately, Artem and his wife were not injured. But they were left without a home. Could you please share this information with the activist communities in your countries? This family now needs support to rebuild their home and their life from scratch.PayPal of the oldest son, Marco: [email protected] name: Marko ZakharchenkoFor Ukrainian banking: Посилання на банкуhttps://send.monobank.ua/jar/7sFs5B5MAiНомер картки банки - 4874 1000 3826 9596----------Artem Zakharchenko is a Ukrainian writer, journalist, editor, media analyst and scholar from Kyiv, originally from Chernihiv. He holds a doctorate in social communications and is associated with the Institute of Journalism at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and is head of CAT-UA. His work spans two connected fields: Ukrainian literature and information warfare / strategic narratives. As a novelist, he is the author of Помру за Україну, але це не точно — roughly, I’ll Die for Ukraine, But Not for Sure — a 2021 contemporary Ukrainian novel about imprisonment, patriotism, betrayal and the moral costs of war. As a communications researcher, he writes on Russian propaganda, social media, Ukrainian wartime narratives and the struggle for attention in the information space. His 2025 Frontiers article develops the idea of a “connective strategic narrative” in the Russian-Ukrainian war: a narrative formed not only by state elites, but by emotionally engaged social media public. ----------BOOKS: Narratives of Mass Destruction: Tactics and Strategies of Information Warfare (2026)Наративи масового ураження. Тактики і стратегії інформаційної війниПомру за Україну, але це не точноI’ll Die for Ukraine, But Not for Sure (2021)----------LINKS:https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/04/18/ukrainian-authorities-are-worried-about-online-disinformation_6668838_4.htmlhttps://internews.ua/en/opportunity/social-cleavages-in-ukraine----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Ed Bogan is a retired senior CIA Operations Officer and former two-time Chief of Station with 24 years of experience in intelligence operations across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He served repeatedly in war and conflict zones, including as Chief of Base and in acting chief roles, and later became a public commentator on counter-terrorism, Russian disinformation, intelligence operations and the war in Ukraine.----------LINKS:https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/edward-boganhttps://www.thecipherbrief.com/podcasts/around-the-world-with-former-cia-officer-edward-boganhttps://sashaingber.substack.com/p/whats-next-for-ukraine-with-former----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep350 | 2026-06-11 | BRITAIN UNDEFENDED: John Healey Just Resigned as Defence Secretary Because Starmer and Reeves Refused to Fund the Defence of the United Kingdom — and the Most Dangerous Threat Environment Since the 1930s Has Just Lost Its Most Senior British Champion.Breaking: 11 June 2026 — Healey Quits Over the Defence Investment Plan, the £13 Billion Gap Between What Defence Officials Said the Country Needs and What the Treasury Was Willing to Offer, and the Question Every Allied Capital Is Now Asking — Who, in London, Is Now in Charge of Defending Britain?John Healey — Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom since 5 July 2024, Member of Parliament for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough since 1997, former shadow defence secretary, and the man Keir Starmer brought into government to anchor Britain's defence policy in the most dangerous decade since the 1930s — resigned.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:CNN — "John Healey: UK defense secretary resigns over military spending, in fresh blow to Keir Starmer" (11 June 2026) The National — "Defence Secretary John Healey resigns over investment plan that makes UK 'less safe'" (11 June 2026) Wikipedia — "John Healey" — Defence Secretary since 5 July 2024; MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough since 1997 (previously Wentworth/Wentworth and Dearne); Christ's College Cambridge; born 13 February 1960 in Wakefield; junior ministerial positions under Blair and Brown 2001-2010; shadow defence secretary 2020-2024BBC News Live coverage — "Defence Secretary John Healey delivers SDR statement" (2 June 2025) CBS News — "Citing Russia threat, U.K. leader announces military spending boost, including new nuclear-powered submarines" (2 June 2025)NPR — "Why the U.K. prime minister is calling for a bigger military to face Russia" (4 June 2025)The Independent (US/AOL syndication) — "Starmer warned UK faces '1936 moment' as ex-defence chiefs urge spending boost" — Telegraph open letter from three former defence secretaries, retired senior military chiefs, former MI6 head Sir Richard Dearlove; "hollowed out by years of chronic underfunding"; call for 5% of GDP defence spending; "1936 moment" framing of global conflict likelihood; "Our actions fall dangerously short of matching this rhetoric and of meeting our treaty obligations" verbatimIISS Military Balance 2025 (via Bloomberg/Yahoo) — "UK Unable to Defend Against Ballistic Missile Attack, IISS Warns" (February 2025) AP via Yahoo — "UK to raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, Starmer says 2 days before Trump meeting" (February 2025) Reuters — "Britain needs to step up defence spending faster, PM Starmer says" (February 2026)Fox News — "'Trump effect' on display as UK's Starmer boosts defense spending on eve of US visit" (February 2025) ----------

Illya Sekirin is a Ukrainian-born, naturalised Canadian volunteer, drone-warfare practitioner and author of Rise of the Machines: Drone Warfare in the Russia–Ukraine War – Tactics, Operations, Strategy. He volunteered to fight for Ukraine in March 2022, trained as a drone operator, served on the front line, worked as a translator and researcher for the Ukrainian General Staff, and later became an unofficial adviser to members of Ukraine’s Stavka, the high-command body chaired by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Helion/Casemate also states that Sekirin authored a paper that helped inform Zelenskyy’s decision to create Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate branch. ----------LINKS:https://www.helion.co.uk/people/illya-sekirin.phphttps://soldier.army.mod.uk/issues/jan-26/update/ukraine-drone-pilotBOOK:Rise of the Machines: Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War – Tactics, Operations, StrategyPublication: 2026https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/rise-of-the-machines-drone-warfare-in-the-russia-ukraine-war---tactics-operations-strategy.phphttps://www.amazon.com/Rise-Machines-Russia-Ukraine-Operations-Strategy/dp/1804519707----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Nigel Gould-Davies is a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. Between 2010 and 2013 he held senior government relations roles in the international energy industry. Previously he has also served in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where his roles included head of the Economic Section in Moscow, ambassador to Belarus, and project director in the Policy Planning Unit. He is author of Tectonic Politics: Global Political Risk in an Age of Transformation (Brookings, 2019).----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/Nigelgd1https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-gould-davies-5347b51a?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.iiss.org/people/russia-and-eurasia/dr-nigel-gould-davies/https://gsas.harvard.edu/person/nigel-gould-daviesBOOKS:Tectonic Politics: Global Political Risk in an Age of Transformation (2019)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tectonic-Politics-Insights-Critical-International/dp/0815737130https://www.chathamhouse.org/2019/05/tectonic-politics-global-political-risk-age-transformationARTICLES:https://www.iiss.org/research-paper/2026/05/the-coming-crisis-in-russias-political-economy/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00396338.2024.2332057https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/09/biden-putin-ukraine-appeasement-deterrence-donbass/----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep349 | 2026-06-10 | A Russian general was deleted, via a car-bomb 400 metres from where another Russian general was eliminated last April. Same suburb. Same pattern. Same message. There is nowhere to hide for Russian war criminals. 9 June 2026 — Damir Davydov, Head of the Missile and Artillery Ammunition Supply Department of the GRAU, Killed by a BMW X3 Bomb in the Aviatorov Microdistrict of Balashikha at 5:30 a.m. — the fourth senior Russian military officer assassinated on Russian soil in eighteen months. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:Meduza — "A year after a Russian general was assassinated in a car bombing outside Moscow, another general is reportedly dead in the same city — in another car bombing" (9 June 2026)UNN (Ukrainian News Network) — "Car explodes in Moscow region – top Russian Ministry of Defense officer killed" (9 June 2026) UA.News — "A topographic officer killed in an explosion in the Moscow region" (9 June 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Car Explodes Near Moscow in Military District Where Russian General May Have Been Killed" (9 June 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Russian colonel reportedly killed in car blast near Moscow" (9 June 2026) News.az / UA News — "High-ranking Russian military officer killed in Moscow car bombing" (9 June 2026) Nasha Niva — "High-ranking military officer dies in car explosion in Balashikha near Moscow" (9 June 2026) Daily Kos (citizen journalism via Anton Gerashchenko / ASTRA / MAKS 26 Bluesky sourcing) PBS NewsHour / AP — "Car bomb kills Russian general in Moscow" (22 December 2025) Time magazine — "Russian General Killed in Moscow Car Bomb Attack" (December 2025)BBC News — "Russia detains suspect in car bomb attack that killed general" (April 2025) RFE/RL via Global Security archive — "Russian General Killed In Car Bombing Near Moscow" (25 April 2025) Wikipedia — "Yaroslav Moskalik" — Born 22 August 1966, Angren, Uzbek SSR; died 25 April 2025, Balashikha; rank Lieutenant General; Deputy Chief, Main Operational Directorate of General Staff; killed by remotely-detonated IED in parked car around 10:40 local time----------

2026-06-10 | UPDATES #211 | The question every serious Western analyst should now be asking is not whether the Kerch Bridge will eventually be brought down, but when. And the analytical answer to that question runs through five operational variables.Variable one: Western long-range strike enablers. The Hudson Institute analysis from October 2023 — Bryan Clark and Can Kasapoglu — laid out the case directly: Ukraine needs Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles fired from F-16 fighters with German Taurus KEPD-350 missiles as an alternative payload. The F-16s have been operationally deployed by Ukraine since mid-2024. The Taurus transfer has remained politically blocked by successive German governments. But the matrix of available capabilities has not gone backwards. Ukraine has the F-16s, has access to Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG, has the targeting expertise, and has been progressively improving its ability to deploy these weapons against Russian air-defence umbrellas. The political constraint — Western governments insisting that long-range Western missiles not be used against the Kerch Bridge or other targets inside Crimea proper — has been one of the most damaging restrictions of the war. Lifting that constraint is the single fastest path to the bridge dropping.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Institute for the Study of War — "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 22, 2026" (22 May 2026)UA.News — "Ukrainian strikes on Russian logistics are disrupting supplies to the front lines" (22-23 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "Russia Warns Ukraine Can Strike Key Crimea Supply Route 200 km Behind Front" (early May 2026) Euromaidan Press — "Ukraine wrapped the occupied south in three layers of drones. Russian trucks are burning" (24 May 2026)Defence Matters — "Ukraine's Medium-Range Drone Strikes Put Pressure on Russia's Land Corridor to Crimea" (early May 2026)6. Tochnyi (via Euromaidan Press) — Analytical monthly tracking; Strikes doubled February to March 2026; munitions storage / artillery usage correlation; fuel-targeting / mechanised operations correlationOko Gora (Ukrainian OSINT project) — Geolocated mapping of approximately 50 documented Ukrainian drone strikes on M-14 and H-20 highway logistics over the preceding two months (March-May 2026) — Project name translates as "Mountain Eye"; verification through photographic evidence and Russian milblogger documentationThe War Zone (TWZ) — "Ukraine Strikes At The Heart Of Russia's Highly Defended Kerch Bridge" (3 June 2025)Kyiv Independent — "Ukraine's SBU strikes Crimean Bridge in underwater attack" (3 June 2025) ----------

Welcome to our monthly conversation with Konstantin, who is one of the most respected voices on YouTube about what is happening Inside Russia. Konstantin Samoilov is a well-known YouTuber whose channel ‘Inside Russia’ comments insightfully on Russia’s decent into authoritarianism over the last few years. But now, like many others, he’s outside Russia, with no idea of when he can return there. ----------LINKS: @INSIDERUSSIA https://www.patreon.com/insiderussiaINSIDE RUSSIA is a source of current news on Russia - Konstantin carefully selects 9 news stories that are important and really matter, with commentaries and analyses by Konstantin delivered daily to channel patrons at Patreon.comGet your access to daily news updates at patreon.com/INSIDERUSSIA----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION: Kyiv Update w/ Konstantin Samoilov: Russia’s Economic Collapse, SPIEF Humiliation & Escalation RisksIn Kyiv for his final recording of the trip, Jonathan speaks with Konstantin Samoilov about intensifying strikes on Ukraine and Ukraine’s growing ability to strike deep into Russia, fueling tension and political uncertainty. Samoilov says Russian agencies are trying to silence him, reducing his output, and argues Moscow is now targeting English-language critics to protect RT’s outward propaganda. They discuss the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as humiliating theater amid visible refinery fires, claims of a rapidly accelerating Russian economic collapse, and the notable absence of central bank head Elvira Nabiullina as a sign of elite infighting. Samoilov cites fuel rationing, falling tax receipts, deficits, and shrinking options, concluding Putin cannot end the war without risking his own downfall and may escalate beyond Ukraine, while Ukraine’s victory is likely to be driven by internal Russian clan conflict. Jonathan closes by promoting his edited book, The Dark Heart of Russia.----------CHAPTERS: 01:12 Why Konstantin Went Quiet03:46 Russia Targets English Voices06:55 Potemkin Forum Optics10:07 Economy Enters Acute Phase14:42 Putin Speech Empty Theater19:47 Nabiullina Vanishes22:36 Robots and Fake Volga26:02 Can Propaganda Survive Defeat28:03 Visa Narrative Whiplash31:04 Kursk Under Occupation32:30 Nabiullina And Collapse36:21 Why Putin Cannot Stop41:44 Fuel Crisis Hits Home44:54 Escalation Scenarios48:09 Desperation Over Strategy----------

Bryan Pickens is a former U.S. Army special operations soldier, security contractor, tactical advisor, and Ukraine war veteran. He has served in elite U.S. units, including as a Green Beret in U.S. Army Special Forces and as a Ranger with 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He is currently associated with Valoryx Group LLC and is publicly described as a tactical advisor, drone-operations and training specialist, security consultant, and Russian-language proficient former special operator.After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Pickens fought alongside Ukrainian special operations forces and became one of the Western veterans arguing that Ukraine’s battlefield experience has outpaced much of NATO’s current understanding of modern war. In comments cited by Forbes, he said that even with “16 combat deployments,” he had to relearn how to fight in Ukraine, adding that Ukrainian counterparts were teaching him. His recent public commentary focuses heavily on drone warfare, counter-drone defence, electronic warfare, mid-range strike capability, and the urgent need for Western militaries to learn directly from Ukrainian operators. He has warned that cheap drone swarms cannot be sustainably countered with multi-million-dollar interceptors, and has argued that Ukraine can help professionalize Western warfighters in interception, surveillance, strike integration, and counter-electronic warfare. Pickens has also written and co-authored for The Cipher Brief, including on what Washington should learn from Ukraine’s battlefield, and has appeared on veteran/security podcasts discussing his U.S. special operations background, Ukraine experience, and tactical lessons from the war.----------LINKS:https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/bryan-pickenshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkirichenko/2026/05/15/the-pentagon-is-learning-drone-warfare-from-ukraine/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkirichenko/2026/05/03/japans-terra-drone-bets-on-ukraines-cheap-way-to-stop-shaheds/https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-future-of-war-is-now-what-washington-needs-to-hear-from-the-battlefield----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Ralph Goff is a retired senior CIA officer and former intelligence executive, best known as a six-time CIA Chief of Station with a 35-year career in U.S. intelligence. His overseas service included postings and operational work across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, and several war zones. He later served as Chief of Operations for Europe and Eurasia and as head of the CIA’s National Resources Division, where he worked with senior U.S. private-sector figures in finance, banking, and security.Before joining the CIA, Goff served in the U.S. Army as a Russian linguist and signals intelligence officer on the East German border during the late Cold War, monitoring Soviet forces. After retiring from the CIA in October 2023, he became a public commentator on intelligence, Russia, Ukraine, and great-power competition. He has traveled regularly to Ukraine, met with Ukrainian officials, and argued that Western support for Kyiv has often been too cautious. In a 2025 interview, he said the West had given Ukraine “enough weapons to bleed, not to win,” criticising fear of escalation as a strategic constraint. In 2025, Goff was reportedly selected by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to become Deputy Director for Operations, the post overseeing human intelligence and covert action, but the appointment was later withdrawn. Reporting by Politico and The Washington Post said the reversal surprised many intelligence professionals and was linked by sources to political concerns, including Goff’s public support for Ukraine. Today, Goff is known as a forthright advocate for rebuilding U.S. clandestine capabilities, strengthening Western intelligence posture, and supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression. His public persona combines old-school operations experience, Atlanticist conviction, and a blunt critique of risk-aversion in Western policy.----------LINKS:https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/ralph-goffhttps://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ex-cia-chief-we-gave-ukraine-enough-weapons-to-bleed-not-to-win-r3q0r2fcghttps://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/02/cia-drops-agency-veteran-clandestine-operations-00267346----------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:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Ben Hodges is a retired United States Army officer, who became commander of United States Army Europe in November 2014, and held that position for three years until retiring from the United States Army in January 2018. Until recently he was the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, specialising in NATO, Transatlantic relationship and international security. ----------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.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:Ben Hodges on Drone War Acceleration, Crimea’s Vulnerability, and How Ukraine Can WinFrom Kyiv, Jonathan interviews retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges amid intensifying Russian strikes, discussing how drone warfare is accelerating faster than Western adaptation and why NATO still struggles to stop drone incursions into its own airspace. Hodges argues Russia’s brutal bombing aims to terrorize Ukrainians and pressure Europe but won’t be decisive, while Ukraine’s long-range precision strikes on oil, gas, shipyards, and logistics can create faster strategic effects by degrading Russia’s war economy and public will. They describe Russia’s vast territory as a vulnerability, cite a Ukrainian precision strike on Saint Petersburg, and argue Crimea is decisive terrain that Ukraine can recover by isolating it, degrading the Kerch Bridge’s utility, and making occupation untenable. They criticize Western self-deterrence and nuclear fear, challenge myths of infinite Russian manpower, stress learning from Ukraine’s battlefield innovations, and a fundraiser for vampire drones and Jonathan’s upcoming book, The Dark Heart of Russia.----------CHAPTERS:02:23 Drone War Catch Up04:57 Why Strikes Intensify09:53 Ukraine Hits Deep Russia11:58 Vampire Drones Appeal13:29 Crimea Under Siege18:23 West Strategy and Nukes22:48 Oil Strikes and Will26:26 Russia Manpower Myths30:04 NATO Learns From Ukraine34:55 Real Time Training Pipeline39:44 Crimea Victory Wrap Up----------

Silicon Bites Ep346 | 2026-06-04 | Some uninvited guests from HUR, the Ukrainian intelligence services have decided to decorate the backdrop to Putin’s prestigious economic forum in St Petersburg. And it looks truly beautiful. I love the sight of Russia burning in the morning, especially when it’s so humiliating for the killer gnome in the Kremlin. Mos Eisley on the Neva: how Putin’s prestige forum opened this morning with a massive fire on its horizon, an American delegation of influencers, cranks, and trump appointees inside, and Russia’s largest northwestern oil terminal burning six kilometres from the conference hall.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:TASS — "29th International Economic Forum begins its work in St. Petersburg" (3 June 2026) TASS — "About thirty US companies to attend SPIEF 2026 — AmCham" (2 June 2026)Interfax — "St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to open June 3" (2 June 2026) EconoTimes — "Putin's 'Russian Davos' Draws U.S. Influencers, Officials, and Global Business Figures Amid Economic Struggles" (3 June 2026) NEXTA (X / Twitter) — Documentation of Andrew Tate arrival in St Petersburg "welcomed with honours at the airport"; Gerhard Schröder also in Russia ahead of forum; Candace Owens framing (1 June 2026)Meduza — "Well, He's a Right-Wing Extremist" (30 May 2026) — SPIEF speakers' list including "people with 'scandalous reputations in their homeland'"; Candace Owens detail; far-right participation framework; Business Software Forum contextPravda.Ru / Pravda EN — "Presidents and Senior Officials From More Than 70 Countries to Join SPIEF" (2 June 2026) TASS — "Some 20,000 people from over 100 countries to take part in SPIEF 2026 — Kremlin aide" (2 June 2026) Kyiv Independent — "Fire, smoke greet Putin's Economic Forum as Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg oil terminal in major attack" (3 June 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Drones strike oil terminal in St. Petersburg, triggering massive fire" (3 June 2026) ----------