Silicon Curtain

2026-05-14 | UPDATES #202 | Putin used the ceasefire to stockpile. He used the days after his tinpot dictator parade to probe Ukrainian airspace with decoy drones, and last night he struck. We said he would and explained why he would. Putin is a rational psychopath who can’t bear to make concessions, or be perceived as in the debt of others, allies and partners, but especially not enemies. He knows that his pathetic so-called victory parade only happened because of concessions made by Ukraine, and that drives him insane. His elites and Z-Patriots understand this too. But lashing out, he is seeking to change the agenda, shift the optics, but he is also sending a message to his ‘elites’ – I can still inflict pain, fear and violence. I am still the strongman you believed me to be – I have no moral or political restraints – so don’t try anything. ----------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: UNITED24 Media — "Russia Launches Record 1,600-Drone and Missile Attack on Ukraine" (14 May 2026) NPR / AP — "Russia hits Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles, killing 1 and injuring 31" (14 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "Kyiv Under Massive Russian Attack as Missiles and Drones Target Capital" (14 May 2026) Kyiv Independent — "Ukraine war latest: Ukraine targets 3 major Russian energy facilities overnight" (13-14 May 2026)ABC News / AP — "Russia hits Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles, injuring at least 4" (14 May 2026) Kyiv Post / ISW — "ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, Map and Update, May 13, 2026" (13 May 2026) New Geopolitics Research Network — Mykhailo Samus, "Complexity and Layering: How Ukraine's Air Defence Must Operate" (15 November 2025) New Geopolitics Research Network — Mykhailo Samus, "Ukraine's 'Small Air Defense' Revolution — and Why America Should Be Paying Attention" (11 March 2026) CEPA — "Ukraine's Air Defenses — World Class, and Improving" (April 2026) UNITED24 Media — "How Ukraine Started 2026 with Record Anti-Shahed Drone Production and a New Era in Air Defense" (9 January 2026) Defense News — "Novel interceptor drones bend air-defense economics in Ukraine's favor" (5 March 2026) Army Recognition — "Ukraine unveils new Stash air defense system armed with Hellfire missiles during Russian drone attack" (May 2026)Think Tank Journal — "The World War of Drones: How Ukraine Is Redefining Defense Technology" (30 April 2026) ----------

2026-05-13 | UPDATES #201 | Russian assets assemble – how four synchronised attacks on Zelenskyy landed in the same 72 hours — and why the coordination is the story. The Mendel interview, the Yermak charges, the Gabbard biolabs allegation revival, and Putin’s first-ever use of the phrase 'Mr Zelensky' — all in the same week. What is going on? We try to find patterns in the apparent chaos. ----------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: The Tucker Carlson Show — Mendel interview, "Zelensky's Press Secretary Reveals All: Cocaine, Cover-ups, and the Only Obstacle Preventing Peace" (11 May 2026)LIGA.net — "Zelensky's former spokeswoman mentions surrender of Donbas. The OP says the lady did not participate in the negotiations" (11 May 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Former Ukrainian presidential aide Yermak under investigation by anti-corruption bodies" (11 May 2026) Censor.NET — "NABU has notified former Head of the Presidential Office Yermak of the charges" (11 May 2026)RT — "Tulsi Gabbard's Ukrainian biolab investigation: what you need to know" (12 May 2026) RT — "Gabbard launches probe into 120+ US-funded biolabs in Ukraine and beyond" (12 May 2026) Newsweek — "Tulsi Gabbard Labeled a 'Russian Asset' for Pushing U.S. Biolabs in Ukraine Claim" (31 March 2022)Wikipedia — "Ukraine bioweapons conspiracy theory" — Comprehensive documentation of 2022 disinformation rejection by NYT, NPR, Guardian, CBS, Bloomberg, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, UN, US government, Ukrainian government; Russian scientists' own rejection; Zignal Labs and Pyrra Technologies analysis of origin in pre-invasion English-language influencer ecosystemHead Post — "More than 40 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine, says intelligence chief as Washington orders full inquiry" (12 May 2026)NBC News — "Hegseth halted weapons for Ukraine despite military analysis that the aid wouldn't jeopardize U.S. readiness" (July 2025) CNN — "Ukraine aid: Hegseth did not inform the White House before he authorized a pause on weapon shipments" (July 2025) The Hill — "Hegseth says $400M in Ukraine support released after McConnell's angry op-ed" (late April 2026)NOTUS — "Hegseth Says the Pentagon Released Funds for Ukraine" (late April 2026) — Don Bacon (R-NE) on Colby's "1890s to 1930s foreign policy"; Republican concerns about isolationist currentKyiv Post — "Hegseth Says Pentagon Released $400M in Ukraine Aid After Lawmaker Pressure" (late April 2026)The Hill — "Pentagon's pause on Ukraine munitions raises alarm; Democrats see 'rogue actors'" (July 2025) ----------

Christine Khariv is Business Development Manager at DLF attorneys-at-law Ukraine. Christine writes eloquently and passionately about Ukraine on LinkedIn and Twitter, exposing Russian falsehoods, and advocating for Ukraine’s cause.https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-khariv-qris/----------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.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------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 Ep337 | 2026-05-12 | Assets or idiots? Delusional or disingenuous. Politics as usual, or treacherous behaviour? Do they work for the Kremlin or for themselves? Iuliia Mendel's 96 Minutes with Tucker Carlson and the question that decides what they are, and whose interests they work for. 11–12 May 2026 — The Day After Mendel's Interview Drops — and the Day Russia's Propaganda Machine Lights It Up. We now have Yermak’s arrest, the Carlson interview and now some Ukrainian biolabs nonsense investigation being launched in the U.S. Are these things possibly connected? We’ll explore that in another episode tomorrow. For now, let’s turn to two figures that give a very convincing impression of acting as Russia assets.----------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/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----------SOURCES:The Tucker Carlson Show — "Zelensky's Press Secretary Reveals All: Cocaine, Cover-ups, and the Only Obstacle Preventing Peace" (11 May 2026, 96 minutes) LIGA.net — "Zelensky's former spokeswoman mentions surrender of Donbas. The OP says the lady did not participate in the negotiations" (11 May 2026) TASS — "Ukraine's rich do not revolt against Zelensky for fear of sanctions — former secretary" (11 May 2026)Pravda EN (news-pravda.com) — Multiple stories within 12 hours: "Former press secretary Yulia Mendel gave a scathing interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson" (6 hours); "Zelensky demanded Goebbels-style propaganda" (8 hours); "Donbas during negotiations with Russia in Istanbul in 2022"; "Yulia Mendel said that she had spoken to people who have known the comedian for more than 20 years - everyone says that he is on cocaine"; "Nord Stream blast linked to corruption dispute with Zelensky" (11 May 2026)Pravda USA (usa.news-pravda.com) — "Former press secretary Yulia Mendel in an interview with Tucker Carlson: Zelensky is one of the biggest obstacles to peace today" (11 May 2026) The New American — "Putin Says Ukraine War Is Nearing End" / Paul Dragu coverage (11 May 2026) ----------

Artur Dron is a 25-year-old Ukrainian poet, essayist, and combat veteran. Born in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. Graduated from the Department of Journalism at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. Before the full-scale invasion, worked as event manager at The Old Lion Publishing House in Lviv — the publisher that would later issue Hemingway Knows Nothing. Saw combat across Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Seriously wounded in October 2024 by an anti-personnel mine. Endured multiple surgeries and a nerve transplant after shrapnel injuries. Demobilised in July 2025 due to disability — discharged on 4 July 2025, completing service that began on 2 March 2022. His poetry has been translated into at least ten languages.----------BOOKS: Dormitory №6 (2020) We Were Here (2023)Hemingway Knows Nothing (2025)LINKS:https://warpoetryukraine.org/https://pen.org.ua/en/members/dron-arturhttps://ukraineworld.org/en/articles/stories/poetry-ukrainianhttps://chytomo.com/en/review-of-artur-dron-s-book-hemingway-knows-nothing/https://www.arrowsmithpress.com/journal/artur-dronhttps://book.artarsenal.in.ua/en/guest-2023/artur-dron-2/To purchase Artur's book of poetry in UK: https://www.jantarpublishing.com/product-page/we-were-here----------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.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------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----------

2026-05-12 | UPDATES #200 | How Andriy Yermak fell from shadow president to suspect — and why 'down' is not the same as 'out'. 11–12 May 2026 — the day Nabu and Sapo formally charged the most powerful man in Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelensky. Is this a sign of troubling issues, or of a vibrant democracy dealing with corruption and nepotism. Why this arrest is strong proof against the Russian narrative that ‘Ukraine is a dictatorship’. This stuff does not happen in tyrannies. ----------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 — "Former Ukrainian presidential aide Yermak under investigation by anti-corruption bodies" (11 May 2026)Censor.NET — "NABU has notified former Head of the Presidential Office Yermak of the charges" (11 May 2026) Meduza — "Ukraine names Zelensky's former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, as a suspect in a major money laundering case" (11 May 2026) Euronews — "Zelenskyy's chief of staff Yermak resigns after Ukraine anti-corruption investigators raid" (28 November 2025) OCCRP — "Anti-Corruption Raids Prompt Resignation of Ukraine's Top Presidential Aide" (28 November 2025)Kyiv Independent — "Zelensky's chief of staff Yermak resigns amid Ukraine's biggest corruption scandal" (28 November 2025)NBC News — "Top Zelenskyy aide at heart of U.S. peace talks resigns after being implicated in corruption probe" (28-29 November 2025)Kyiv Independent — "Zelensky's ex-chief of staff Yermak says he's 'going to the front' after resigning amid corruption probe" (28-29 November 2025) EA WorldView — "Ukraine War, Day 1,373: Corruption Investigation of Zelensky's Chief of Staff Yermak" (28 November 2025)Ukrayinska Pravda / EMPR Media — "Ali Baba and Forty Statesmen. How Yermak Lost His Seat on the Right and wasn't Charged" (December 2025) ----------

Silicon Bites Ep336 | 2026-05-11 | The UK is falling – how a two-party system built over a century is cracking apart in real time — and why the architect of the wreckage is now the frontrunner to run it. You’re not worried yet? You should be. An alleged grifter and fraud is about to take the UK to a dark place, and the implications for Ukraine and European security are huge. This grifter is Nigel Farage, and huge dark money forces have allegedly helped build his political platform over decades, and he has a history of repeating moronic Kremlin’s narratives. His colleague was jailed for being paid to do the same in the EU parliament. The UK’s mini-Trump is on the way, brace, brace, brace. ----------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/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----------SOURCES:CNN — "Farage's Reform UK wins big in local elections, splintering two-party system and piling pressure on Starmer" (8 May 2026) Al Jazeera — "UK's Labour set for heavy losses in elections as Reform makes early gains" (8 May 2026)Times of Israel / AP — "UK Labour dealt blow as far-right Reform surges, Greens gain in local elections" (8-9 May 2026) Prism News — "Reform UK leads fragmented English local elections as Labour, Conservatives lose ground" (8 May 2026) Socialist Worker UK — "Elections 2026: Reform UK surges as mainstream politics fractures" (8 May 2026) Brookings Institution — Adam Krugman, "Back to the future? British politics in 2026" (19 February 2026) ITV News Wales — "Former Reform leader in Wales Nathan Gill jailed for 10.5 years for accepting Russian bribes" (21 November 2025) Al Jazeera — "Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales jailed for 10 years over pro-Russia bribes" (21 November 2025) New Statesman — "Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales jailed for over 10 years" (21 November 2025) Wikipedia (Nathan Gill) ----------

Yuri Rashkin Livestream. ----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: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/----------

2026-05-11 | UPDATES #199 | While Zelenskyy was signing satirical decrees, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova were performing the other half of the regime's choreography: the threat.The Russian Foreign Ministry, captured by Pravda EN, RFE/RL, the Washington Times, and TASS, issued what RFE/RL called "a belligerent warning to Kyiv, and diplomatic missions there" — threatening to "attack the Ukrainian capital if Ukraine did in fact disrupt the May 9 events." The Foreign Ministry advised foreign embassies and international organisations located in Kyiv to evacuate their offices in case of such a strike. The Defence Ministry urged civilians to evacuate as well. Moscow is a thug and a bully, and these threats are completely in character. ----------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: Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukraine officially allows Russia to hold Victory Day parade in Moscow: Zelenskyy signs decree" (8 May 2026) Mediaite — "Zelensky Trolls Putin By Announcing Ukraine Will Honor Ceasefire for Moscow Parade — By Including Exact Military Coordinates" (8 May 2026) Mezha — "Zelenskyy allows Moscow parade and excludes Red Square from weapons plan" (8 May 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Zelenskyy allows a parade in Moscow on May 9" (8 May 2026) LIGA.net — "Zelenskyy's decree allows parade to be held in Moscow" (8 May 2026) Euronews — "Trump announces three-day of ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia" (8 May 2026) Washington Times / AP — "What Russia's low-key Victory Day celebrations reveal about Putin and the war in Ukraine" (8 May 2026)Pravda EN / English Pravda — "Lavrov Warns of 'No Mercy' for Attempts to Disrupt Victory Day Celebrations" (7-8 May 2026) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Caspian Sea Warship; Kremlin Boosts Security For May 9 Victory Day" (7 May 2026) TASS / Pravda Armenia — "From a briefing by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, M.V.Zakharova" (7 May 2026) Pravda Trump — Yuri Baranchik commentary (7 May 2026) ----------

Corcoran writes from the perspective of a long-term Moscow correspondent, who spent 14 years in Moscow and who became personally entangled in the story he was covering. He is an award-winning journalist and Russia analyst based in Ireland, formerly a senior correspondent for Bloomberg News and Dow Jones, with work appearing in outlets including The Sunday Times, The Washington Post, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. ----------BOOKS:Leaving Russia: How Putin Forced a Nation’s Future to Flee’ (April 2026)----------LINKS:https://jasoncorcoranwrites.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-corcoran-b651894/https://x.com/jason_corcoranhttps://jasoncorcoran2022.substack.com/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/author/jason-corcoranhttps://www.businessinsider.com/author/jason-corcoran?IR=T----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: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----------

2026-05-10 | UPDATES #198 | Nightmares of the ‘bunker Tsar’. The European intelligence dossier on Putin’s drone paranoia — and why it probably has a kernel of truth. What we are about to discuss is the most explosive single document published about the inner state of the Russian regime in 2026 — and like all explosive documents, it deserves to be handled with care. Now the sceptical reading. Because no responsible analysis can take an anonymous EU intelligence dossier at face value.----------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: iStories / Important Stories — "Vladimir Putin fears an assassination attempt and a coup, tensions among security services are rising, an EU intelligence agency says" (4 May 2026) iStories / Roman Anin — "Russia Has Two Paths Left" (4 May 2026) CNN — "Unsettled Kremlin tightens security around Putin amid assassinations and coup fears, intel report says" (4 May 2026) OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) — "Security Tightens Around Putin Amid Coup and Assassination Fears, According to European Intel Agency" (4 May 2026)Meduza — "Report: Putin fears assassination attempt by Russia's political elite, tightens security" (4 May 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Putin fears drone assassination, coup as security tensions rise inside Kremlin" (4 May 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "Putin begins to fear possible assassination attempt using drones" (4 May 2026) Liga.net — "Putin fears coup and assassination by drones. Important stories revealed by EU intelligence report" (4 May 2026)Michael Bociurkiw / Substack analysis — "Putin Under Fortress: Kremlin Tightens Security Amid Coup Fears and Drone Threat" (4 May 2026)Britbrief — "Putin Fears Coup or Assassination as Shoigu Named Potential Threat" (4 May 2026)The Vermilion — "Fears of attacks and coups d'état, security around Putin strengthened" (4 May 2026) Ground News — "Putin Retreating to Bunkers Amid Coup and Drone Fears, EU Intelligence Reports Claim" (4 May 2026) ----------

Silicon Bites Ep335 | 2026-05-10 | Z-patriots are losing their minds, telling Russia that 1917 is coming again. But history does not repeat in such convenient ways – but it may well rhyme. Moscow and St Petersburg cut off again from mobile internet, forty regions blacked out, and the pro-war cheer-leaders crack.Now to the part of the story that may cause troubled dreams in the Kremin. Because the people now publicly forecasting that the regime is about to collapse are not opposition figures, not Western analysts, not Ukrainian intelligence officers. They are the regime's own most loyal pro-war commentators.Naki's framing of why it matters: "This is not satirist Viktor Shenderovich – the famous satirist. This is a man who literally builds drone schools, factories, supplies troops. If he publicly says society has one and a half to two months — the thermometer is showing a seriously high temperature."----------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/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----------SOURCES:Michael Naki / YouTube — "МОСКВУ И ПИТЕР ОТРУБИЛИ. Путин режет интернет — страна в ярости" (Moscow and Petersburg Cut Off — Putin Severs the Internet, the Country Is Furious) — 5–6 May 2026 Meduza — "Moscow mobile internet restored after Russia's Digital Development Ministry says temporary restrictions lifted" (5 May 2026) Liga.net — "Even the 'white list' does not work. People in Moscow complain about internet outages before the parade" (5 May 2026) Mezha (Ukraine News) — "Moscow activated white lists for mobile internet, some base stations remain offline" (March 2026) Kyiv Post — "Moscow Cuts the Signal: First Russian Region Faces Indefinite Mobile Internet Shutdown" — Korbinian Leo Kramer (November 2025) Charter'97 / Kyiv Post (cross-referenced) — Coverage of Kalashnikov "civil war / toxic figure / dead end" framing across April-May 2026 Newsweek — "Russia 'can't win,' pushing to freeze Ukraine war: Kremlin propagandist" — Kalashnikov coverage (July 2024, with continuing relevance) iStories / Important Stories — "Vladimir Putin fears an assassination attempt and a coup, tensions among security services are rising, an EU intelligence agency says" (4 May 2026)iStories / Roman Anin — "Russia Has Two Paths Left" (4 May 2026)CNN — "Unsettled Kremlin tightens security around Putin amid assassinations and coup fears, intel report says" (4 May 2026) The New Voice of Ukraine — "Z-bloggers expose the harsh reality of Russia's stalled invasion" (April 2026) Kyiv Post — "Top Russian Milblogger Praises Ukraine Army, Predicts Kremlin Spring Offensive Will Fail" (April 2026) Ukrainian News (Ukranews.com) — "Terrorist Girkin predicts Russia's military defeat" (April 2026) ----------

Silicon Bites Ep334 | 2026-05-09 | Zelenskyy granted Putin permission to hold his own dictator parade on Red Square — and for added irony supplied them with the military coordinates in a special presidential decree. This is next level Ukrainian trolling, but it also highlights how weak and pathetic Putin has become. In this episode, Trump's claimed three-day truce, the 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap, and the sharpest diplomatic mockery of the war to date. Ukraine is now on top. ----------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/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----------SOURCES:Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukraine officially allows Russia to hold Victory Day parade in Moscow: Zelenskyy signs decree" (8 May 2026)Mediaite — "Zelensky Trolls Putin By Announcing Ukraine Will Honor Ceasefire for Moscow Parade — By Including Exact Military Coordinates" (8 May 2026) Mezha — "Zelenskyy allows Moscow parade and excludes Red Square from weapons plan" (8 May 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Zelenskyy allows a parade in Moscow on May 9" (8 May 2026)LIGA.net — "Zelenskyy's decree allows parade to be held in Moscow" (8 May 2026) Euronews — "Trump announces three-day of ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia" (8 May 2026) Washington Times / AP — "What Russia's low-key Victory Day celebrations reveal about Putin and the war in Ukraine" (8 May 2026) Pravda EN / English Pravda — "Lavrov Warns of 'No Mercy' for Attempts to Disrupt Victory Day Celebrations" (7-8 May 2026) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Caspian Sea Warship; Kremlin Boosts Security For May 9 Victory Day" (7 May 2026) TASS / Pravda Armenia — "From a briefing by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, M.V.Zakharova" (7 May 2026) Pravda Trump — Yuri Baranchik commentary (7 May 2026)----------

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

2026-05-09 | UPDATES #197 | THE UNIT-COST ATTACK ON THE WESTERN DEFENCE BUSINESS MODELNow to why Papperger's hostility, beyond personal arrogance, has a structural source.Ukraine's drone revolution is not just changing how wars are fought. It is changing the unit economics of war itself — and those unit economics are an existential threat to the legacy defence-prime business model.The numbers are now well documented across CEPA, NATO assessments, Reuters, Business Insider, and the propelrc.com 2026 military drone cost study:- A basic Ukrainian FPV kamikaze drone: $400 to $800. Built from commercial components — many of them sourced from China through grey-market channels — assembled by soldiers, volunteers, or small companies.- A Lockheed Martin Hellfire missile: approximately $150,000 per round.- A US Patriot interceptor missile: approximately $4 million per round.- A Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter: approximately $80 million per airframe.----------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: The Atlantic — Simon Schuster interview with Armin Papperger (published Friday, late March 2026)France24 / AFP — "Rheinmetall addresses row over CEO's Ukraine 'housewives' comment" (29 March 2026) Euronews — "'Every housewife could be CEO of Rheinmetall': Zelenskyy hits back at German weapons boss" (30 March 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "'Housewives' and 'Lego': Rheinmetall says it respects Ukraine after CEO's controversial remarks" (29 March 2026)Militarnyi — "Rheinmetall Apologizes for CEO's Comments About 'Ukrainian Housewives With 3D Printers'" (late March 2026) The Print — "More 'hits' than Rheinmetall ever — Ukraine drone manufacturer claps back at CEO's 'housewives' remark" (1 April 2026) Bull Source — "Social media backlash as Rheinmetall's Armin Papperger says Ukraine's drones are made by housewives" (April 2026) United24 Media — "Ukraine's New Point-Based Rewards System for Drone Operators Is Rewriting War Management from the Ground Up" (May 2025) United24 Media — "Ukraine Launches Combat E-Points System: Troops Can Now Redeem Kills for Drones and EW Kits" (10 July 2025) SOFREP — "Ukraine Launches Combat-Based Reward System to Equip Troops With Cutting-Edge Tech" (8 May 2025)----------

Silicon Bites Ep333 | 2026-05-07 | Z-patriots are losing their minds, telling Russia that 1917 is coming again. But history does not repeat in such convenient ways – but it may well rhyme. Moscow and St Petersburg cut off again from mobile internet, forty regions blacked out, and the pro-war cheerleaders crack.It is the morning of 5 May 2026. A woman in Moscow wakes up, picks up her phone, and stares at the screen. No notifications. No SMS. No app pings. Nothing. She opens the camera and starts filming herself, in the kitchen, in real time, narrating the moment her capital city has been disconnected from the world.----------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/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----------SOURCES:Michael Naki / YouTube — "МОСКВУ И ПИТЕР ОТРУБИЛИ. Путин режет интернет — страна в ярости" (Moscow and Petersburg Cut Off — Putin Severs the Internet, the Country Is Furious)Meduza — "Moscow mobile internet restored after Russia's Digital Development Ministry says temporary restrictions lifted" (5 May 2026) Liga.net — "Even the 'white list' does not work. People in Moscow complain about internet outages before the parade" (5 May 2026)Mezha (Ukraine News) — "Moscow activated white lists for mobile internet, some base stations remain offline" (March 2026) Kyiv Post — "Moscow Cuts the Signal: First Russian Region Faces Indefinite Mobile Internet Shutdown" — Korbinian Leo Kramer (November 2025) Charter'97 / Kyiv Post (cross-referenced) — Coverage of Kalashnikov "civil war / toxic figure / dead end" framing across April-May 2026 Newsweek — "Russia 'can't win,' pushing to freeze Ukraine war: Kremlin propagandist" — Kalashnikov coverage (July 2024, with continuing relevance) iStories / Important Stories — "Vladimir Putin fears an assassination attempt and a coup, tensions among security services are rising, an EU intelligence agency says" (4 May 2026) iStories / Roman Anin — "Russia Has Two Paths Left" (4 May 2026)CNN — "Unsettled Kremlin tightens security around Putin amid assassinations and coup fears, intel report says" (4 May 2026) ----------

2026-05-07 | UPDATES #196 | The fall of an empire – the humbling of the Russian bear and elimination of its vast stock of Soviet weapons, and Soviet-minded population of Putin’s Russian Federation. A victory made by housewives: how a German CEO insulted the drone revolution he cannot compete with. Today’s episode is a breakdown of why Ukraine’s mil-tech threatens every defence prime in NATO and the U.S. with a new paradigm of how to fight wars, and how to supply them. Last Friday, the Atlantic magazine published an interview with one of Europe's most powerful defence executives. The man is Armin Papperger, Chief Executive Officer of Rheinmetall AG — Germany's largest arms manufacturer, market capitalisation north of fifty billion euros, supplier of tanks, 155mm artillery shells, and air defence systems to NATO and to Ukraine itself. The Atlantic's journalist Simon Schuster asked Papperger about Ukraine's domestically-produced drones — the cheap, mass-manufactured, daily-iterated weapons that have, by independent count, destroyed roughly two-thirds of Russia's tank fleet and account for 80 percent of all combat casualties on both sides of this war.----------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: 1. The Atlantic — Simon Schuster interview with Armin Papperger (published Friday, late March 2026)France24 / AFP — "Rheinmetall addresses row over CEO's Ukraine 'housewives' comment" (29 March 2026) Euronews — "'Every housewife could be CEO of Rheinmetall': Zelenskyy hits back at German weapons boss" (30 March 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "'Housewives' and 'Lego': Rheinmetall says it respects Ukraine after CEO's controversial remarks" (29 March 2026)Militarnyi — "Rheinmetall Apologizes for CEO's Comments About 'Ukrainian Housewives With 3D Printers'" (late March 2026) The Print — "More 'hits' than Rheinmetall ever — Ukraine drone manufacturer claps back at CEO's 'housewives' remark" (1 April 2026) Bull Source — "Social media backlash as Rheinmetall's Armin Papperger says Ukraine's drones are made by housewives" (April 2026) United24 Media — "Ukraine's New Point-Based Rewards System for Drone Operators Is Rewriting War Management from the Ground Up" (May 2025) United24 Media — "Ukraine Launches Combat E-Points System: Troops Can Now Redeem Kills for Drones and EW Kits" (10 July 2025) SOFREP — "Ukraine Launches Combat-Based Reward System to Equip Troops With Cutting-Edge Tech" (8 May 2025)----------

Joe Lindsley is a traveller and a writer, and American reporting on Chicago's WGN Radio from Ukraine each and every weekday of Russia's full-scale war. 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://www.ukrainianfreedomnews.com/donation/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lindsleyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-lindsley-60087618/https://www.youtube.com/@jplindsleyhttps://twitter.com/JPLindsleyhttps://www.instagram.com/jplindsley/https://www.facebook.com/josephlindsleyhttps://www.ukrainianfreedomnews.com/ ----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN: We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: 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 ----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN: We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampires----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------DESCRIPTION:Putin’s Regime as a Criminal Business: Elite Cracks, Siloviki Power Struggles & May 9 Risks | Jason Jay SmartJonathan speaks with Jason Smart about why the war benefits Putin’s inner circle as an asset-stripping, profit-driven system, arguing the Putin regime functions as a literal criminal organization and that this distorted incentive structure can make escalation—including risking conflict with NATO—seem rational to insiders. They discuss rising billionaire wealth during the war, large-scale state seizures allegedly funneled to Putin allies, and growing signs of elite fragmentation: oligarch factions, nationalist “Z” voices, selective law enforcement, leaks and “hacks,” arrests and firings tied to loyalty concerns, and a tightening security apparatus. The conversation highlights Rosgvardiya and the FSO’s role in regime protection and monitoring, the possibility that intelligence leaks aim to destabilize the system, and speculation around May 9 targets amid Russian air-defense gaps. The episode also promotes a book release and a fundraiser for Ukrainian drones.----------

Silicon Bites Ep332 | 2026-05-05 | Nightmares of the ‘bunker Tsar’. The European intelligence dossier on Putin’s drone paranoia — and why it probably has a kernel of truth. What we are about to discuss is the most explosive single document published about the inner state of the Russian regime in 2026 — and like all explosive documents, it deserves to be handled with care.On Sunday 4 May, the Russian independent investigative outlet Important Stories — known by its Russian name iStories, founded by 2024 European Press Prize winner Roman Anin — published the text of what it described as an intelligence report compiled by an unnamed European Union country's foreign intelligence service. The same dossier was simultaneously distributed to CNN, the Financial Times, the OCCRP investigative consortium, Meduza, and other outlets. The source was, in iStories' words, a government official close to the agency that compiled the report.----------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/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----------SOURCES:iStories / Important Stories — "Vladimir Putin fears an assassination attempt and a coup, tensions among security services are rising, an EU intelligence agency says" (4 May 2026) iStories / Roman Anin — "Russia Has Two Paths Left" (4 May 2026)CNN — "Unsettled Kremlin tightens security around Putin amid assassinations and coup fears, intel report says" (4 May 2026) OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) — "Security Tightens Around Putin Amid Coup and Assassination Fears, According to European Intel Agency" (4 May 2026) Meduza — "Report: Putin fears assassination attempt by Russia's political elite, tightens security" (4 May 2026)RBC-Ukraine — "Putin fears drone assassination, coup as security tensions rise inside Kremlin" (4 May 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "Putin begins to fear possible assassination attempt using drones" (4 May 2026) Liga.net — "Putin fears coup and assassination by drones. Important stories revealed by EU intelligence report" (4 May 2026)Michael Bociurkiw / Substack analysis — "Putin Under Fortress: Kremlin Tightens Security Amid Coup Fears and Drone Threat" (4 May 2026) Britbrief — "Putin Fears Coup or Assassination as Shoigu Named Potential Threat" (4 May 2026)The Vermilion — "Fears of attacks and coups d'état, security around Putin strengthened" (4 May 2026) Ground News — "Putin Retreating to Bunkers Amid Coup and Drone Fears, EU Intelligence Reports Claim" (4 May 2026)----------

2026-05-05 | UPDATES #195 | This is the surreal physical reality of Moscow this week. The Kyiv Post and AFP, reporting on 5 May, documented what is happening on the streets of the Russian capital. Mobile internet access began dropping sharply after 7am. Apps, websites, payment systems all failing to load. Even the so-called white-list services — the ones the Kremlin had publicly committed to keeping accessible during shutdowns — were unavailable. SMS messaging stopped working. Across both Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the disruption has now been continuous for days.----------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: CNN — "Analysis: Putin will host a scaled-back parade in Red Square this year, amid mounting pressures and threats" (29 April 2026) Tempo — "Russia Offers Ukraine May 8-9 WWII Anniversary Ceasefire" (4 May 2026)Al Jazeera — "Russia and Ukraine declare competing ceasefires" (4 May 2026)Euronews — "Russia unilaterally declares Victory Day ceasefire while Zelenskyy tables own truce" (4 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "Russia Blacks Out Mobile Internet in Moscow, St. Petersburg Ahead of Victory Day Showcase" (5 May 2026) Al Arabiya / AFP — "Moscow shuts off mobile internet ahead of Victory Day parade" (5 May 2026)Human Rights Watch — "Russia: Internet Shutdowns Escalate" (31 March 2026)NBC News — "Mobile internet blackouts sweep Moscow, leaving residents feeling 'powerless'" (March 2026) Chatham House — "Moscow internet blackouts: the Kremlin tightens its grip on Russia's digital space" (27 March 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Parade in Moscow to trigger mobile internet shutdown" (4 May 2026)----------

2026-05-05 | UPDATES #194 | Moscow goes dark, Putin begs for calm and for ‘permission’ to run his tin pot victory day parade. Zelenskyy dictates the terms, in one of the greatest political inflections of history. Ukraine now calls the shots about what happens and does not happen in the swamp empire. Putin does not control, the agenda in Moscow, and Red Square, Ukraine does. Putin's panic hits maximum velocity four days before the May 9 parade, as he seeks to trade Ukrainian prisoners for a promise of clear skies to act the cosplay dictator one last time on Red Square. The streets of Moscow on the morning of 5 May 2026. A cashier at a corner café tries to charge a customer through a contactless card terminal. The terminal beeps and refuses. The customer stares at it. The cashier shrugs. The taxi app on the customer's phone shows a grey screen and a spinning circle that will not finish. The Yandex maps will not load. The messenger notifications make their familiar sound — but when the customer taps to read, the messages will not open. A landline phone in the back of the café rings. Pagers, last seen in 1999, are reportedly being procured by some Moscow firms. AFP reporters in Moscow this morning watched as multiple shops were unable to process card payments at all. ATMs are intermittent. The Russian capital — the political and financial heart of the largest country on earth — has been thrown back into a mid-1990s pre-digital state on the orders of its own government. Mobile phone subscribers are being warned that their devices will turn into useless bricks both before and during the Victory Day parade period. ----------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: CNN — "Analysis: Putin will host a scaled-back parade in Red Square this year, amid mounting pressures and threats" (29 April 2026) Tempo — "Russia Offers Ukraine May 8-9 WWII Anniversary Ceasefire" (4 May 2026)Al Jazeera — "Russia and Ukraine declare competing ceasefires" (4 May 2026)Euronews — "Russia unilaterally declares Victory Day ceasefire while Zelenskyy tables own truce" (4 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "Russia Blacks Out Mobile Internet in Moscow, St. Petersburg Ahead of Victory Day Showcase" (5 May 2026) Al Arabiya / AFP — "Moscow shuts off mobile internet ahead of Victory Day parade" (5 May 2026)Human Rights Watch — "Russia: Internet Shutdowns Escalate" (31 March 2026)NBC News — "Mobile internet blackouts sweep Moscow, leaving residents feeling 'powerless'" (March 2026) Chatham House — "Moscow internet blackouts: the Kremlin tightens its grip on Russia's digital space" (27 March 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Parade in Moscow to trigger mobile internet shutdown" (4 May 2026)----------

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.----------

2026-05-04 | UPDATES #192 | Front line Leningrad. 60 drones over Putin’s historic imperial capital and the governor's confession. Pulkovo closes again and Primorsk burns. The night of 2 to 3 May 2026. The Russian Federation's window to the Baltic. The province that contains Saint Petersburg — Russia's second city, Vladimir Putin's hometown, the imperial capital where Romanovs once ruled and where the Bolshevik Revolution began. Above it, between dusk and dawn, more than sixty unmanned aerial vehicles flew north from Ukrainian territory and approached one of the most economically vital pieces of infrastructure in the entire Russian state: the commercial seaport of Primorsk.----------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: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (via GlobalSecurity.org) — "Russia Scales Back Victory Day Parade, Citing Ukrainian Drone Attacks" (29 April 2026) The Moscow Times — "What's Behind Russia's Pared-Back WWII Victory Day Parade?" (30 April 2026)The Washington Post — "Russia scales back Victory Day spectacle as Ukraine's reach lengthens" (30 April 2026) Kyiv Post — "Russia Scales Back May 9 Parade to 'Military Lockdown' Format" (3 May 2026)Euronews — "Drone strikes Moscow building just days before Russia's Victory Day parade" (4 May 2026) United24 Media — "Russia Cuts May 9 Parades Across Regions. Here's Why" (2 May 2026) Pravda EU (Russian-language) — Coverage of Russian regional cancellations (2 May 2026) Dagens — "Fear of Ukrainian drones force Moscow into 'military lockdown' ahead of Victory Day parade" (3 May 2026) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Ukraine Strikes Deep Inside Russia, Tuapse Hit Again" (1 May 2026) ----------

Francis Dearnley is Executive Editor of audio projects at The Telegraph, including the award-winning podcast 'Ukraine: The Latest'. Francis has been instrumental in helping to build the world’s most listened to, and award-winning, podcast covering the war in Ukraine. As well as being a highly respected and recognisable voice, he is also a frequent commentator on foreign affairs issues on TV news programmes, radio, and other podcasts. ----------LINKS:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182https://x.com/FrancisDearnleyhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/f/fp-ft/francis-dearnley/https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisdearnley/----------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: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----------

2026-05-03 | UPDATES #191 | Tupik. Russia's own war correspondents just declared the war a dead end. The confessions of disheartened z-bloggers and turbo patriots. This episode is based on Michael Naki's survey of Russian z-blogger confessions. Whines of doom and gloom, whinging about the weakness of Russia and Putin’s failure to erase Ukraine as a nation, a people, and as a military power. There is one Russian word you need to hold in your head for the next ten minutes. The word is Tupik. It means dead end. Cul-de-sac. The road that goes nowhere. Ironic that as we approach May 9th, Victory Day, we should be focusing on the war in which Russians no longer see victory, but rather a catastrophic defeat that now threatens to become an existential risk to their imperial realm. For four years, this word has been forbidden in Russian state media. The official line, repeated by Vladimir Putin, by Defence Minister Belousov, by Chief of General Staff Gerasimov, by every state television presenter, by every official briefing — was that the Special Military Operation was progressing. That every Ukrainian village taken was a victory. That every line on the map redrawn in Russia's favour was evidence of inevitable triumph. That the Western analysts predicting Russian failure were inventing fictions.----------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: Michael Naki — "ТУПИК ДЛЯ АРМИИ РФ. Военкоров прорвало" / "DEAD END FOR THE RUSSIAN ARMY. War correspondents have broken through" (May 2026 video, transcript provided in user upload) — Primary source for entire episode: comprehensive collation of admissions from Zvinchuk (Rybar), Solovyov panellists, Sladkov, Steshin, Kotenok, Strelkov, Tretyakov, Ageev, and the "When the cannons sang" Telegram channelWashington Post — "Russian Mikhail Zvinchuk accused by State Department of election interference" (4 November 2024)Genderdesk WordPress — "Another Russian z-blogger: 'Rybar'" (24 April 2026) Pravda Ukraine — "UAV Operators. They'll be operators, not stormtroopers" (April 2026)Pravda NATO — "Results of April 27/30/May 1/May 2 from Rybar via SolovyovLive" (April-May 2026) Ukrainian News (Ukranews.com) — "Terrorist Girkin predicts Russia's military defeat" (April 2026) Wikipedia — Igor Girkin (Strelkov) — Biographical record; FSB colonel; April 2014 Sloviansk operation; Dutch MH17 conviction November 2022; 4-year sentence January 2024; Putin "lowlife" remarks; ongoing Telegram channel maintained by wife Miroslava ReginskayaThe New Voice of Ukraine — "Z-bloggers expose the harsh reality of Russia's stalled invasion" (April 2026) ----------

2026-05-02 | UPDATES #190 | How China became the indispensable engine of Russia’s assault on Europe. Bloomberg confirms 90% of Russia’s sanctioned tech now flows through China. The figure was embedded in a Bloomberg report on Friday, citing officials familiar with private assessments inside European Union institutions. Let’s be clear, this war has gone on for longer, and been more intense, with a far greater scale of slaughter because of massive Chinese material support and enablement of Russia. But is this a strategic decision, or more short term and transactional? Ninety percent of all sanctioned technology now entering Russia — every microchip, every integrated circuit, every electronic component, every machine tool that the European Union and its allies have spent four years trying to deny Putin's war machine — is being supplied through one country. That country is the People's Republic of China.Up from approximately 80 percent a year ago. The increase, Bloomberg's sources confirmed, is the direct result of EU sanctions tightening alternative routes — closing Hong Kong shell companies, sanctioning Turkish intermediaries, breaking up Central Asian re-export networks. As the EU squeezes everywhere else, the channel through China widens. As the channel through China widens, Russia produces more drones, more missiles, more artillery shells.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Bloomberg — "Russia Increases Reliance on China for Critical War Technologies" (30 April 2026)The Moscow Times — "China Now Supplies 90% of Russia's Sanctioned Tech Imports – Bloomberg" (1 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "China Becomes Main Gateway for Russia's Sanctioned Tech Imports" (April 2026) United24 Media — "Russia Imports 90% of Sanctioned Military Tech via China" (1 May 2026) UA News — "Russia imports more than 90% of sanctioned technologies via China – Bloomberg" (April 2026) Mezha (NV) — "China expands supply of sanctioned technologies to Russia, fueling weapons production" (April 2026)NBC News / Reuters — "China's Xi Affirms 'No Limits' Partnership With Putin in Call on Ukraine War Anniversary" (24 February 2025)Council on Foreign Relations — "China-Russia-Ukraine: May 2025" (7 July 2025)----------

2026-05-03 | UPDATES #191 | Tupik. Russia's own war correspondents just declared the war a dead end. The confessions of disheartened z-bloggers and turbo patriots. This episode is based on Michael Naki's survey of Russian z-blogger confessions. Whines of doom and gloom, whinging about the weakness of Russia and Putin’s failure to erase Ukraine as a nation, a people, and as a military power. There is one Russian word you need to hold in your head for the next ten minutes. The word is Tupik. It means dead end. Cul-de-sac. The road that goes nowhere. Ironic that as we approach May 9th, Victory Day, we should be focusing on the war in which Russians no longer see victory, but rather a catastrophic defeat that now threatens to become an existential risk to their imperial realm. For four years, this word has been forbidden in Russian state media. The official line, repeated by Vladimir Putin, by Defence Minister Belousov, by Chief of General Staff Gerasimov, by every state television presenter, by every official briefing — was that the Special Military Operation was progressing. That every Ukrainian village taken was a victory. That every line on the map redrawn in Russia's favour was evidence of inevitable triumph. That the Western analysts predicting Russian failure were inventing fictions.----------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: Michael Naki — "ТУПИК ДЛЯ АРМИИ РФ. Военкоров прорвало" / "DEAD END FOR THE RUSSIAN ARMY. War correspondents have broken through" (May 2026 video, transcript provided in user upload) — Primary source for entire episode: comprehensive collation of admissions from Zvinchuk (Rybar), Solovyov panellists, Sladkov, Steshin, Kotenok, Strelkov, Tretyakov, Ageev, and the "When the cannons sang" Telegram channelWashington Post — "Russian Mikhail Zvinchuk accused by State Department of election interference" (4 November 2024)Genderdesk WordPress — "Another Russian z-blogger: 'Rybar'" (24 April 2026) Pravda Ukraine — "UAV Operators. They'll be operators, not stormtroopers" (April 2026)Pravda NATO — "Results of April 27/30/May 1/May 2 from Rybar via SolovyovLive" (April-May 2026) Ukrainian News (Ukranews.com) — "Terrorist Girkin predicts Russia's military defeat" (April 2026) Wikipedia — Igor Girkin (Strelkov) — Biographical record; FSB colonel; April 2014 Sloviansk operation; Dutch MH17 conviction November 2022; 4-year sentence January 2024; Putin "lowlife" remarks; ongoing Telegram channel maintained by wife Miroslava Reginskaya----------

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----------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----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

James Verini is an American long-form journalist and author who writes for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic and other outlets. The Pulitzer Center describes him as a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic whose work has won both a National Magazine Award and a George Polk Award. He is also the author of They Will Have to Die Now: Mosul and the Fall of the Caliphate, about the battle to retake Mosul from ISIS.On Ukraine, Verini’s major reporting arc includes “In the Trenches of Ukraine’s Forever War” from January 2022, “Surviving the Siege of Kharkiv” from May 2022, “The Theater” / “Witness to the Massacre in Mariupol” from September 2022, “The Collaborators” from November 2023, and a 2025 New Yorker essay on Alexander Dugin and the ideological roots of Russia’s war. His own site describes the Donbas before the full-scale invasion as a “deadlocked, time-warped conflict,” Kharkiv as a city Russia battered but failed to take, and the Mariupol theater bombing as “the defining atrocity of the Ukraine War.” (James Verini)----------LINKS:https://jamesverini.com/books/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Theater-Courage-Survival-Defining-Atrocity/dp/1668062208/ref=sr_1_2https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Theater/James-Verini/9781668062203https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Verinihttps://www.newyorker.com/contributors/james-verinihttps://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/james-verinihttps://pulitzercenter.org/people/james-verini----------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 Ep329 | 2026-05-01 | Russia is turning into burning hell, as the motor of its war economy goes up in flame – the oil infrastructure that Putin’s power depends on is being systematically destroyed. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. «Посеешь ветер — пожнешь бурю» Comrade. Perm burns, deep in the Russian Urals as Lukoil's largest refinery is hit and Tuapse is smacked for the fourth time. It is 30 April 2026. The city of Perm, in the Russian Urals, sits more than fifteen hundred kilometres from the Ukrainian border. It is, by any conventional military measure, supposed to be safe. It is the sort of place Russian state media has spent four years assuring its citizens is permanently beyond the reach of Ukraine's response.----------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/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----------SOURCES:Bloomberg — "Ukraine Strikes Key Russian Refinery, Pumping Station in Perm" (30 April 2026) Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukrainian drones strike oil refinery and pumping station in Russia's Perm again" (30 April 2026) Euromaidan Press — "SBU drones hit Lukoil's Perm refinery — 1,500 km from Ukraine" (30 April 2026) The Moscow Times — "Chemical Emergency Alert Issued in Perm After Ukraine Strikes Industrial Sites" (30 April 2026)RBC-Ukraine — "Major Russian refinery key unit ablaze after Ukrainian drone strike" (30 April 2026) The Defense News — "Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Russian Oil Refinery in Perm Over 1,500 km from Border" (30 April 2026)Newswall / NewsMezha — "SBU says long-range drones attacked Lukoil refinery in Perm, large fires erupted" (30 April 2026) AP / Click On Detroit — "Ukraine says a strike hit Tuapse oil terminal, the fourth attack on the region in 2 weeks" (1 May 2026) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Ukraine Strikes Deep Inside Russia, Tuapse Hit Again" (1 May 2026) CNN — "'Oil is literally falling from the sky': Russian town fears environmental disaster after Ukrainian drone strikes on refinery" (30 April 2026) ----------

2026-05-01 | UPDATES #189 | Girkin has issued another outburst from prison — 'we are heading for military defeat.’ The man who did more than most to start this war now says it is lost. He is a criminal, but this pronouncement is worth listening to. The implication, the Putin regime has lost control of its own founding myth – its own justification for existing. The rest is failure and defeat. His name is Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin. Pen name: Strelkov — the Shooter. Former colonel of Russia's FSB. The self-proclaimed man who "pulled the war's trigger" in April 2014 by leading armed Russian militants across the border into Sloviansk. The so-called Defence Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic. Convicted in absentia by a Dutch court in November 2022 for the mass murder of 298 civilians on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. By any honest accounting, an international war criminal of the first order.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Ukrainian News (Ukranews.com) — "Terrorist Girkin predicts Russia's military defeat" (Late April 2026) Euronews — "EU approves €90 billion loan for Ukraine after Hungary lifts controversial veto" (23 April 2026)Council on Foreign Relations — "Orbán's Fall in Hungary Opens a Door for Europe — and Closes One for Russia" — Liana Fix and Benjamin Harris (3 April 2026) Ukrainska Pravda / European Pravda — "Hungary's Magyar comments on EU's €90bn loan for Ukraine" (13 April 2026) Ukrainska Pravda — "EU wants to unblock €90bn for Ukraine as quickly as possible after Orbán's defeat" (13 April 2026)Wikipedia — Igor Girkin (Strelkov) The Moscow Times — "Ex-Rebel Leader Girkin Sentenced to 4 Years for Extremism After Criticizing War" (25 January 2024) Newsweek — "Putin's forces heading to military 'defeat,' former Russian commander warns" (April 2023)Newsweek — "Russia has suffered 'strategic defeat' as war nears 10th month: Igor Girkin" (December 2022) The New Voice of Ukraine — "Former 'DPR' leader argues Russia is 'heading for a military defeat'" (April 2023) ----------

Oleksandra Chorna is a Blogger and Therapist based in New York. She runs platforms including on YouTube focusing on democratic politics, authoritarian slide, and Ukraine's struggle to remain independent in the face of Russian aggression. ----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@UC9WVWN8qNEiy2CofIUW9Zpw https://www.instagram.com/mom_ocracy/https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksandra-chorna-30b9088/----------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 Ep328 | 2026-04-28 | Rule by secret decree: how Putin hid half his government from his own people. Inside the Russian Information Blackout. The full scale of the catastrophe of the Russian economy and governance has been hidden. It means the collapse, when it comes will be so much bigger than many suspect, including many people within the Russian system itself. Imagine a country where almost half of the orders signed by the head of state are classified. Where you can be arrested for breaking a law you are not allowed to read. Where the cause-of-death registers have been redacted to hide who is dying and why. Where the Land Registry has been classified to protect the dachas of officials, and where Members of Parliament have made it illegal for journalists to photograph them at work. The country is the Russian Federation, in 2026, and these are just a fraction of the secret information, rules and decrees.----------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/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----------SOURCES:Mediazona / Moscow Times — "Half of Putin's Decrees Classified in 2023" (2 January 2024) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Russian News Outlet Says Data Shows Putin Signed Record Number Of Secret Decrees In 2023" (2 January 2024)Newsweek — "Vladimir Putin's Rule by Secrecy" — Brendan Cole (4 January 2024) Kyiv Post — "Putin Produces So Many 'Secret' Decrees – What Has He Got to Hide?" (4 January 2024) Charter'97 — "Putin Issues Unprecedented Number Of Secret Decrees" (2 January 2024)The Moscow Times — "Russia Limits Access to Key Economic and Demographic Data Amid Downturn Concerns" (1 August 2025, citing Promsvyazbank analysis)bne IntelliNews — "Russia's Rosstat decides to hide increasing bleak income and retail figures from the public" (6 August 2025)Carnegie Endowment for International Peace — "Secret Economy: What Hiding the Stats Does for Russia" (July 2022) VoxUkraine — "Illusion of Stability: Never trust Russian stats" (December 2024) ----------

2026-04-29 | UPDATES #188 | Plant potatoes, because everything has turned to shit. That’s the pronouncement of one of the cheerleaders of Putin’s pointless war. Another propagandist warns that Putin’s regime is toxic and the Tsar may soon be deposed. Yevgeny Golman's potato warning meets Maxim Kalashnikov's toxic-Putin verdict. Russia is racing fast towards a repeat of the disastrous 90s. Russia has no real opposition, claimed Mark Feigin in an interview conducted this time last year. None that could challenge Putin at least and be a serious contender to seize power. So where is dissent coming from? It is coming from the regime's own loudest cheerleaders — the people whose entire careers have been spent shouting that everything is fine — suddenly, on camera, screaming that everything is not fine. Cue the meme of the dog sitting in a room of flames. That is Russia now – especially Tuapse – but the dog is realising that all in NOT ok. That whining sound of privileged Russians complaining is getting louder, and this week, includes the sound of two such men. The first is a Wagner Private Military Company veteran called Yevgeny Golman, screaming at his audience: "Guys, we need to change — everything needs changing! Otherwise, we're fucking screwed!" And his specific advice to ordinary Russians? Plant potatoes. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Caucasian Knot (English) — Confirms Golman as Wagner PMC member, head of Dobrynya Foundation, SVO veteranWarTranslated (Dmitri) — Golman "hysterical outburst" on 1308th Motor Rifle Regiment (early February 2026); shackled soldiers paying to use toiletEchelon (PeerTube) — "Yevgeny Golman: Humor on Russian Army's Front Situation & Authorities' Helplessness" (April 2026)NoelReports (Mastodon) — Golman on volunteer organisations failing to fund socks and underwear; mass business closures halting volunteer assistance (17 February 2026)Kyiv Post — "Top Russian Milblogger Praises Ukraine Army, Predicts Kremlin Spring Offensive Will Fail" (April 2026) — Primary source for Friday YouTube vlog: Putin "toxic figure," "dead end from which he cannot get out," "throwing him out of power as the only way to maintain their position"; Podolyaka quotes; Filatov "Roads and Memories"----------

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:Chernobyl’s Legacy, Soviet Cover-Ups, and Why Ukraine’s Responsibility Culture Defeats Russian Imperialism. Jonathan Fink welcomes back Anna Danylchuk to discuss Chernobyl’s enduring impact on Ukraine and how Soviet negligence and the Moscow cover-up worsened the catastrophe and helped trigger public awakening that contributed to the USSR’s collapse. Anna describes the “Chernobyl generation,” shaped by the disaster, the USSR’s fall, Ukraine’s revolutions, and the current war, contrasting Ukrainian civic responsibility with Russian passivity and reliance on a coercive “power vertical.” They draw parallels between Chernobyl-era lies and today’s Russian information control, noting how drone strikes, explosions, and internet shutdowns make the war feel real to Russians and expose state weakness. The conversation also addresses Western complacency, the consequences of Russian occupation, the possibility of Russia’s collapse via internal power struggles, and nature’s recovery in the Chernobyl zone. ----------CHAPTERS:01:23 Chernobyl Generation02:58 Hardship Across Generations05:39 Chernobyl Coverup08:38 Propaganda and Fallout12:57 Awakening and USSR Collapse19:14 System Weakness Exposed22:18 Russia Feeling the War29:08 Shock Needed in the West31:29 Stereotypes About Ukraine32:51 First Impressions In Kyiv34:47 Neutrality And Hidden War37:47 Responsibility And Revolutions42:15 Russia Collapse Scenarios46:15 Magical Thinking Trap48:42 After Russia Dissolves51:29 Chernobyl Renewal Metaphor54:40 Pub Talk And Farewell----------

2026-04-28 | UPDATES #186 | Tuapse burns – a third wave of strikes has reignited earlier fires and started new ones. Now the flames are burning out of control and may consume the whole plant. This is a major strategic and psychological blow for Putin and his war economy. In this episode – Budanov's doctrine and the end of the 'no cards' lie. April 27–28, 2026 — as Tuapse oil refinery and port burns for the third time in twelve days. It is just after 2 AM on the night of 27th to 28th April 2026, on the Black Sea coast. Above the Russian port city of Tuapse — population thirty-five thousand, one of the most strategically important oil export hubs Russia possesses — the air is filled with the sound of more than a dozen consecutive explosions.By dawn, 164 Russian firefighters with 46 fire appliances are battling what Krasnodar Krai's governor describes as "a major fire at the oil refinery." Residents of the streets nearest the burning Rosneft facility are being evacuated. School Number 6 in Tuapse has been opened as a temporary accommodation centre. Drone groups, eyewitnesses report, came in low across the sea before striking both the maritime terminal and the refinery itself.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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!----------

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.----------

Dr Jade McGlynn is a British researcher — Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, Senior Associate at CSIS in Washington DC, and head of the Ukraine and Russia programme at KCL's Centre for Statecraft and National Security. (Note: she uses she/her pronouns.) She holds a DPhil from Oxford, is a fluent Russian and Ukrainian speaker, and now splits her time between the UK and Ukraine — primarily Kharkiv and the eastern de-occupied territories. She is the author of Russia's War (Polity, 2023) and Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin's Russia (Bloomsbury, 2023). She is a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow whose six-year award funds research into Russia's use of history in strategic communications towards Africa, China, Germany and the Western Balkans.She is — uniquely among Western academic specialists on this war — explicitly non-neutral. As she states on her Substack: "I am not neutral in this war. I want Ukraine to win, and I want Russia to lose."----------BUY BRILLIANT UKRAINIAN CLOTHING:https://забой.укр/shop ----------LINKS:https://smalldeedsbigwar.substack.com/https://jademcglynn.com/https://twitter.com/DrJadeMcGlynnhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jade-mcglynn-341357209/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ceelbas/jade-mcglynn-oxfordhttps://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-jade-mcglynnhttps://www.csis.org/people/jade-mcglynn----------BOOKS:Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin's Russia (2023)Russia's War (2023)Rethinking Period Boundaries: New Approaches to Continuity and Discontinuity in Modern European History and Culture (2022)----------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:Dr. Jade McGlynn: Why the West Misreads Russia—Deterrence, Hybrid War, and Learning from UkraineJonathan interviews King’s College London War Studies research fellow Dr. Jade McGlynn about the war’s historical significance, Western “strategic blindness,” and how teleological assumptions about liberal democracy undermined deterrence toward a revisionist Russia. McGlynn argues Russia uses nuclear signaling as everyday coercion, exploits Western self-deterrence, and conducts long-running manipulation by targeting societal weak points, making resilience depend on trust and social cohesion. They discuss Russia’s expansionist pattern until meeting a firm frontier, the need to impose asymmetric costs in the hybrid domain, and the West’s performative messaging and slow procurement cycles versus Ukraine’s rapid wartime innovation. McGlynn warns Russia’s aims remain eliminating Ukrainian sovereignty and testing NATO if successful, stresses cooperation with Ukraine as Europe’s key security guarantee, and describes work to build an occupied-territories insights hub to better document occupation realities.----------

Silicon Bites Ep326 | 2026-04-26 | This is Trump’s real plan. Suck weapons out of Europe, leaving it vulnerable to Russia. If you were Vladimir Putin, and you could design the ideal American foreign policy — not overtly pro-Russian, but functionally pro-Russian — what would it look like? If Trump were a Russian asset, what would he be doing differently than he is already doing? Very little, I’d wager. He would start multiple wars that drain American weapons stockpiles and wreck their reputation internationally – among allies and adversaries. He would burn through Patriot interceptors — the one system that both Ukraine and NATO's eastern flank depend on to survive. He would delay weapons deliveries to the Baltic states and Scandinavia — the countries that border Russia. He would pressure European allies to send their own air defences to the Middle East, and maritime military resources, leaving the continent exposed. He would halt new military aid to Ukraine. He would lift sanctions on Russian oil. He would threaten to leave NATO and eject other members from the alliance. He would invite Putin to a summit at a luxury resort and try to normalise Russia’s genocidal regime on the world stage. He would punish any ally that refused to cooperate and stir up conflict around the world between allies and adversaries. He would do all of this while calling NATO "useless" and European allies "cowards." Confused and distracted, depleted and disoriented, Europe would be rendered incapable of defending itself when Russia does, finally, choose to strike. ----------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/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----------SOURCES:Reuters — "US to delay weapons deliveries to some European countries due to Iran war" (April 17, 2026)Military Times — "US to delay weapons deliveries to some European countries due to Iran war" (April 17, 2026)Kyiv Post — "White House Delays Weapons Deliveries to Europe as Iran War Drains Stockpiles" (April 17, 2026) Aerotime — "US warns European allies of weapons delivery delays as Iran war strains stocks" (April 17, 2026) i24News — "US delaying weapons deliveries to Europe as Iran war strains stockpiles" (April 17, 2026) European Union Institute for Security Studies — "Assessing the damage: What the Iran war really means for Europe's defence" (March 2, 2026)Bloomberg — "Europe Blocks US Military Access Over Trump's Iran War, Straining NATO Ties" (March 31, 2026)----------

2026-04-24 | UPDATES #182 | Just stop Russian oil. Tuapse is burning, black rain is falling like some biblical end-times plague, and Ukraine is enforcing the sanctions against Russia oil that Trump won't.It is raining oil in Tuapse. Not metaphorically. Literally. Oily black droplets falling from the sky, coating cars, streets, houses, playgrounds, and beaches. Soot-blackened puddles forming on every surface. Birds found on the shoreline covered in crude. Schools and kindergartens closed. A seven-square-kilometre oil slick spreading across the Black Sea. A smoke plume visible from space, stretching more than three hundred kilometres inland to the city of Stavropol. And in the middle of it all, a Russian woman on Instagram, sobbing: "I desperately wanted to live by the sea with my child. Now the sea is full of heating oil. What are we supposed to do here?"----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukraine confirms repeat strike on Russia's Tuapse oil refinery" (April 20, 2026) Militarnyi — "Tuapse Oil Refinery Hit by Ukrainian Drone Strike, Large Fire Reported" (April 20, 2026) The Moscow Times — "Ukrainian Drone Attack on Tuapse Port Kills 1" (April 20, 2026)Al Jazeera — "Fires ignited by Ukrainian drones rage at Russian oil refinery" (April 22, 2026)Bloomberg — "Toxic Rain Falls on Russia's Tuapse City in Oil Facility Blaze" (April 23, 2026)Kyiv Independent — "'A nightmare' — Russians in Tuapse in disbelief after Ukrainian drones bring the war home" (April 23, 2026) HotAir — "Ukrainian Attack on Russian Oil Refinery Blankets Town in 'Black Rain'" (April 23, 2026) NV Ukraine (English) — "Drone attack on Tuapse oil refinery — smoke from fire reaches Stavropol" (April 21, 2026) PJ Media — "In This Russian City, It's Literally Raining Oil" (April 23, 2026) Nashaniva — "Ecological catastrophe in the Russian resort of Tuapse" (April 23, 2026)EADaily — "The third day in Tuapse extinguish the oil terminal: the beach of the city has darkened" (April 22, 2026) Censor.NET — "'Black rain' and water mixed with oil soot: fire at Tuapse refinery continues" (April 22, 2026) PRM.UA — "'Oil rain' fell after strikes on Tuapse refinery" (April 21, 2026) ----------

Marathon fundraisers for: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----------

2026-04-20 | UPDATES #179 | This is the ultimate case of ‘don’t look up’. Russia’s debt is spiralling, and the banking system is on the verge of a systemic collapse. The Kremlin has built an economic ‘kill switch’ to flip the economy back into a full authoritarian, centralised command economy, one engineered for the digital age. This is the banking crisis nobody will name, the crisis that the Kremlin expects at any moment, because it built the kill switch first, to stay in power and stay in control.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Ukraine Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) — "Oil Bankruptcies, Debt Crisis, and Hidden Nationalization: How Russia's Economy Is Collapsing from Within" (February 18, 2026) — https://szru.gov.ua/en/news-media/news/oil-bankruptcies-debt-crisis-and-hidden-nationalization-how-russias-economy-is-collapsing-from-withinThe Moscow Times — "Russia Faces a Wave of Bankruptcies as Borrowing Costs Skyrocket" (November 2024) — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/11/11/russia-faces-a-wave-of-bankruptcies-as-borrowing-costs-skyrocket-a86981The Moscow Times — "Does Russia's Economy Have a Debt Problem?" (July 10, 2025) — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/10/does-russias-economy-have-a-debt-problem-a89708bne IntelliNews — "Russia corporate debt burden risks rise, 17 leading companies in trouble" (November 28, 2025) — https://www.intellinews.com/russia-corporate-debt-burden-risks-rise-17-leading-companies-in-trouble-414003/Espreso Global — "Russia's industrial sectors face unprecedented collapse" (November 20, 2025) — https://global.espreso.tv/sanctions-russia-russian-economy-faces-mounting-crisis-as-corporate-bankruptcies-surge-key-industries-collapse----------

2026-04-19 | UPDATES #178 | This episode is about how Russia Is building the infrastructure to seize control of every rouble, every account, every transaction, from its population to fuel Putin’s pointless war. Russia’s population are waking up to the reality that their money is not their money. Their property is not their property. Their resources are not their resources. Everything is on loan from the state – retention of all these is conditional upon their loyalty and compliance. What’s expected of them is indifference to politics in peacetime and unreasonable sacrifice, without question in wartime. Their lives are not their lives. And finally, many are discovering that their country is not their country, it’s a territory ruled, and owned, by a class of people that don’t give a damn about their squeals of indignation and outrage at privileges revoked. This is an object lesson for the West too. We may complain about our governments, our politicians, infrastructure and institutions. But things can always be worse, especially if we lose sight of hope, stop believing in progress, and deny our political agency as individuals. Russia shows what happens where there is no rule of law, no moral or political limits on executive power, no concept of the inviolability of property, rights or possessions. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Kremlin financial control plans — TOLK Forum:The Moscow Times — "How the Kremlin Is Considering Cracking Down on Financial Freedom" (April 7, 2026) The Moscow Times — "Putin Signs Law Allowing Police to Freeze Bank Accounts Without Court Orders" (August 2025)Bloomberg — "Russia's VPN Crackdown Caused Bank Outage, Telegram Founder Says" (April 4, 2026) Business Standard / Bloomberg — "Russia's VPN crackdown caused bank outage, says Telegram founder" (April 4, 2026)Cybernews — "Russia's VPN crackdown triggers payment system disruption, Telegram's CEO Durov says" (April 2026) Techdirt — "Whoops: Russia's Attempt To Block VPNs Causes Major Banking Failure" (April 13, 2026)LatestLY — "Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Blames Russian VPN Crackdown for Major Payment System Failures" (April 4, 2026) Mediazona (English) — "Russia's internet censorship in 2026: VPN crackdowns, mobile shutdowns, Telegram blocks and the state messenger Max" (April 7, 2026) ----------

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 ----------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: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:Why Ukraine Matters: Media Manipulation, Russia’s Economic Strain, and the War’s Global StakesThe panel argues the war in Ukraine has profound long-term global consequences for Americans and Europeans and must be framed beyond individual strikes. They discuss how corporate media incentives and social-media dynamics amplify outrage, distraction, and cherry-picked narratives, while foreign coverage is limited by cost and lack of permanent TV presences in Ukraine. Speakers contrast Ukraine’s good-faith negotiation posture with Russia’s unserious delegations and propaganda, and contend Russia is increasingly weakened by drone-centric warfare and growing internal economic stress, including deficits, liquidity concerns, toxic loans, and elite asset seizures. They cite dissenting signals from Russian economic and nationalist circles and suggest Putin is detached from reality due to distorted information. The conversation explores post-Putin scenarios, risks of forced ceasefire pressure, Europe and Ukraine security alignment.----------

Silicon Bites Ep320 | 2026-04-18 | Ukraine's war on Russian oil, the allies who begged them to stop, and the sanctions waiver that proved whose side Washington is on. On the morning of April 16th, a plume of black smoke rose from the Russian port city of Tuapse on the Black Sea coast. It stretched over a hundred kilometres out to sea. It was visible from space. NASA published the satellite image.The Tuapse Oil Refinery — a Rosneft facility, one of the ten largest in Russia, with an annual processing capacity of twelve million tons — was on fire. Ukrainian drones from the Security Service's Alpha special operations centre had struck fuel storage tanks, deepwater oil-loading arms, pipeline infrastructure, and a multifunctional radar station. The fire spread to neighbouring reservoirs and burned through the day. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed the strike. The OSINT project CyberBoroshno reported the fire had intensified. OSINTtechnical posted the satellite footage. The port of Tuapse handles up to ten percent of Russia's total petroleum product exports.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Ukrainian drone strikes turn major Russian oil refinery into 'volcano' along the Black Sea" (April 16, 2026) The Moscow Times — "Smoke Plume Rises Above Krasnodar Oil Refinery After Ukraine and Russia Trade Deadly Barrages" (April 16, 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Tuapse Oil Refinery in Flames After Drone Strike Hits Russia's Black Sea Port" (April 16, 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukraine's special forces hit Rosneft oil terminal in Russia's Tuapse with drones" (April 16, 2026) Ukrinform — "General Staff confirms hits on Tuapse oil refinery" (April 16, 2026) Mezha — "Ukrainian forces struck Tuapse refinery, fires and storage damage reported" (April 16, 2026) Al Jazeera — "Ukraine's long-range strikes prompt new Russian threat against Europe" (April 17, 2026)RBC Ukraine — "Ukraine hits four Russian oil refineries in one night" (April 18, 2026) EA WorldView — "Trump Administration Extends Sanctions Waiver on Russia's Oil" (April 18, 2026)----------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----------

2026-04-18 | UPDATES #177 | Putin has never been weaker — and he knows it. Everything is falling apart for the tyrant of the Kremlin. Putin has never been in a worse position than he is right now. Nothing is going his way — simultaneously, across every front — in the spring of 2026.The front is stalled. Losses are outpacing recruitment. The economy has contracted for the first time since the invasion. His approval rating is falling for the sixth straight week. Two-thirds of Russians want peace talks. His last remaining European ally was swept from power by his own voters. The oil windfall from the Iran war is evaporating. Ukrainian drones are systematically dismantling Russian refining capacity. And the propaganda machine — the machine that held the line through Kharkiv, through Prigozhin, through four years of attrition — is cracking. In 2022, when Putin lost Kharkiv and Kherson, he still had cards to play. Mobilisation. The war economy. Orbán. Trump. Iran as a partner. The threat of freezing Ukraine into submission. Every card has now been played. None of them worked. Ukraine has only got stronger despite the terrible suffering that Putin has inflicted on the country and its people. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: UNITED24 Media — "Putin's Approval Rating Slides to 66.7% Amid Falling Trust and Declining Party Support" (April 17, 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Putin's Approval Rating Falls to Lowest Level Since 2022" (April 10, 2026)Kyiv Post — "Putin's 'Real' Approval Rating Falls Below 30% for First Time Since Start of War" (April 10, 2026) RBC Ukraine — "Putin's approval rating continues to fall" (April 17, 2026) RFE/RL — "In Russia, Putin Sees Something Not Seen In Years: A Notable Drop In Approval Ratings" (April 2026)Meduza — "Putin's approval rating falls below 70%" (April 10, 2026) Kyiv Independent — "Russia sets yet another Donbas capture deadline" (April 17, 2026) Kyiv Post — "Moscow Gears Up for New Offensive, Eyes Total Donbas Control by September" (April 17, 2026)ISW / Critical Threats — "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 13, 2026" ----------

2026-04-18 | UPDATES #176 | Easter lies, fratricide on the front line, and 667 reasons Ukraine’s air defences are the best in the world. On Easter Saturday, Vladimir Putin declared a thirty-two-hour ceasefire. A humanitarian gesture, the Kremlin called it. The truce would begin at 4pm Moscow time and last through Orthodox Easter Sunday. There is a pattern to Moscow’s announcements – major defeats are always labelled as humanitarian gestures.By 7am the next morning, Russia had violated its own ceasefire two thousand, two hundred and ninety-nine times. Twenty-eight assault operations. Four hundred and seventy-nine shelling fires on Ukrainian positions. Seven hundred and forty-seven kamikaze drone strikes. One thousand and forty-five FPV drone attacks. Near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk, Russian forces used first-person-view drones to attack unarmed Russian soldiers who were being evacuated from the front line during the supposed truce. They killed three of their own men. Then, four days later — on April 16th — Russia launched its most devastating aerial attack of 2026. Nearly seven hundred drones. Dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles. Sixteen dead, including a twelve-year-old boy in Kyiv. Over a hundred wounded. A drone slammed directly into an eighteen-storey residential building. Easter peace. Russian style. We're talking about a pattern of deception that stretches back more than a decade — and a Ukrainian air defence network that just shot down ninety-five percent of everything Russia threw at it.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Al Jazeera — "Russia and Ukraine agree to 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire" (April 10, 2026)Al Jazeera — "Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of breaching Easter ceasefire" (April 12, 2026)Euronews — "Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of breaching 36-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire" (April 12, 2026) Euronews — "Ukraine and Russia exchange prisoners ahead of Orthodox Easter ceasefire" (April 11, 2026) PBS News — "Orthodox Easter ceasefire falters as Ukraine says Russia continues drone strikes" (April 12, 2026) PBS News — "Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of Easter ceasefire violations" (April 12, 2026) ----------

Lev Parnas is a Soviet-born American businessman and former associate of Rudy Giuliani. Parnas, Giuliani, Igor Fruman, John Solomon, Yuriy Lutsenko, Dmytro Firtash and his allies, Victoria Toensing and Joe diGenova, were involved in creating the false Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory, which was part of the Trump–Ukraine scandal's efforts to damage Joe Biden. As president, Donald Trump said he did not know Parnas nor what he was involved in; Parnas insisted Trump "knew exactly what was going on". In October 2021, Parnas was found guilty in U.S. Federal Court on six counts related to illegal donations to the 2020 campaign of Donald Trump. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $2,322,500 in restitution on June 29, 2022. In early March 2026, Parnas announced his candidacy for the Florida 27th district seat in the 2026 election. ----------LINKS:https://levparnas.org/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Parnashttps://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/parnas-adventures-in-magalandhttps://www.c-span.org/video/?c5110982/lev-parnas-testifies-coordinated-effort-falsely-accuse-biden-familyhttps://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Parnas-Lev-Written-Statement.pdf----------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: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:In a livestream tied to a Ukraine fundraiser, Lev Parnas explains why he is running for Congress in Florida’s 27th District, saying he wants to create change beyond social media and challenge Democratic establishment leadership. Drawing on his role as a former gatekeeper between Trump and Giuliani and his experience in “shadow diplomacy,” he argues Trump is not a friend to Ukraine and is driven primarily by money and power, viewing Russia as strong and Ukraine as weak, with future profit motives tied to rebuilding resources coordinated with Russian interests. Parnas criticizes Michael Cohen and Michael Wolff as unreliable and calls Anthony Scaramucci the most credible of the three discussed. The group discusses decades of Russian oligarch money and influence in Western real estate and politics, propaganda shaping US attitudes toward Ukraine, and Putin’s relationships with other leaders. ----------

Silicon Bites Ep319 | 2026-04-17 | Russia's Donbas ultimatum, America’s contradictions, and why JD Vance doesn't know what he's talking about. How do I know? On April 8th, from Budapest — standing alongside Viktor Orbán — JD Vance looked into a camera and said this: "We're talking about haggling at this point over a few square kilometres of territory in one direction or another. Is that worth losing hundreds of thousands of additional Russian and Ukrainian young men?"A few square kilometres. That's the Vice President of the United States describing the fate of millions of Ukrainian citizens, a fortified defensive belt holding back a Russian army of 680,000, and territory that — if surrendered — would give Moscow a launchpad for the next phase of its invasion.Two days later, Zelenskyy responded. "The Vice President, with all due respect, does not take part in the negotiations. If he were involved, he would probably have a deeper understanding of what Ukrainian territory actually is."----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Russia sets yet another Donbas capture deadline while demanding Ukraine withdraw without fighting, HUR says" (April 17, 2026) Kyiv Post — "Moscow Gears Up for New Offensive, Eyes Total Donbas Control by September – HUR" (April 17, 2026)Rubryka — "Russia prepares spring-summer offensive and aims to seize Donbas by autumn – Ukraine's intelligence" (April 17, 2026) Ostro Info / Hromadske — "Russia intends to carry out a summer offensive and capture Donbas by September" (April 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Russia Gives Ukraine Two-Month Deadline to Leave Donbas, Zelenskyy Says" (March 31, 2026) Al Jazeera — "Russia claims to take full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region" (April 1, 2026) CFR Global Conflict Tracker — "War in Ukraine" (updated April 2026) RFE/RL — "Rubio Accuses Zelenskyy Of Lying About US Position On Bid To End Russia's War" (March 27, 2026) Kyiv Independent — "'That's a lie' — Rubio dismisses Zelensky's claims US security guarantees tied to withdrawal from Donbas" (March 27, 2026)Kyiv Independent — "Zelensky responds to Rubio's accusation of lying" (March 28, 2026)Euronews — "Rubio slams Zelenskyy's Donbas comments and says US may divert Ukraine arms to Iran" (March 27, 2026)The Irish Times — "'That's a lie': Rubio denies Zelenskiy claim US is demanding Kyiv give up eastern Donbas" (March 28, 2026) Kyiv Post — "Rubio Rejects Zelensky's Claim That US Linked Security Guarantees to Ukraine's Withdrawal From Donbas" (March 27, 2026) ----------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----------