Silicon Curtain

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----------

2026-04-17 | UPDATES #175 | The economic forum where Russia’s own political and economic scientists said the quiet part out loud. It’s not good news for Putin. Last week, something extraordinary happened in Moscow. In a conference centre in the middle of the capital, at an event the authorities have tolerated for a decade — the Moscow Economic Forum. Tolerated why? Because the regime needs some feedback mechanisms to help shape policy, needs a way to monitor the dissent from its policy course from the professional classes (not political dissenters, these are not tolerated), and because they know these people will never openly turn on the regime. But something has changed. The sense of doom, angst and despair has grown, and the frustration with Putin’s choices on the economy, on funding the war, are bubbling to the surface. The Elites are distancing themselves from Putin’s policies and starting to peel away from him as a figure – but don’t expect that to translate into a political revolution. It won’t. ----------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: BIZNES Online — "We are heading for trouble — a double-digit economic decline: rescue recipes from MEF" (Мы идем к беде – двузначному падению экономики: рецепты спасения от МЭФ) (April 2026) Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP.RU) — "At MEF-2026, they called for urgent repair of the Russian economy" (На МЭФ-2026 призвали срочно начать ремонт российской экономики) (April 13, 2026) Svoye Delo Plus — "We are in trouble and running late: Academician Robert Nigmatulin delivers sharp criticism of economic management" (April 15, 2026)Infokam — "Academician Robert Nigmatulin calls for saving Russia" (April 2026)REPOST News — "Academician Nigmatulin forecasts double-digit economic decline" (April 10, 2026) MEF official site — Plenary I: "From cooling to development" (April 2026) MEF official site — Programme and agenda (April 7–8, 2026) Pravda Germany / PolitNavigator — "At the Moscow Economic Forum, they argued about the desire of young people to work" (April 9, 2026) PRIME / RIA — MEF-2026 preview and participant list (April 7, 2026) ----------

Silicon Bites Ep318 | 2026-04-16 | The people who wrote Britain’s latest strategic defence plan just turned on the government that commissioned it. The dam of consensus broke at the Guildhall in Salisbury. A former NATO Secretary General — a man Sir Keir Starmer personally appointed to write Britain's blueprint for national defence — walked to a lectern, looked out at the room, and said:"We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe. Britain's national security and safety is in peril."That man is Lord George Robertson. Former Labour defence secretary. Former head of the most powerful military alliance on Earth. And the person who, alongside Fiona Hill and General Sir Richard Barrons, delivered the government's own Strategic Defence Review just ten months ago. They gave Starmer sixty-two recommendations. He accepted all of them. He promised to deliver them at — these were his words — "wartime pace." But then failed to deliver change at that speed or scale.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Sky News — "'Corrosive complacency' – Lord Robertson tears into Starmer and Reeves in extraordinary intervention on defence spending" (15 April 2026) Global Defense Corp — "Welfare payments chewed the defence budget. 'Corrosive complacency' towards British national security, Lord Robertson says" (16 April 2026)BritBrief — "Ex-Labour defence chiefs demand welfare cuts to fund military spending, warning security is 'in peril'" (14 April 2026) BritBrief — "Starmer rejects ex-NATO chief's warning that UK security is 'in peril'" (15 April 2026)GBNews — "Keir Starmer hits back at ex-Nato chief after attack on Labour's defence plans" (14 April 2026) Forces News — "Lord Robertson's critique on defence gives voice to AF community who can't speak out" (14 April 2026) The Independent / AOL — "Reeves digs heels in over defence boost despite fears UK security is 'in peril'" (14 April 2026) WSWS — "Labour peer George Robertson demands UK welfare spending cull to fund 'warfighting readiness'" (15 April 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----------

2026-04-16 | UPDATES #174 | Putin's wrecked economy – the grandfather in the Kremlin and the elite who want him gone. Yesterday, in a Kremlin meeting room, Vladimir Putin looked across a table at his own ministers and Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina — and demanded that they explain to him, in plain Russian, why the economy he built, the war machine he fuelled, the "fortress" he promised, is cracking under his feet. Maybe he is not recognising the full extent of the problem – maybe he is not being told the full extent of the problem – but he is starting to acknowledge that there is a problem. The source of the problem is of course his disastrous war, his kleptocratic regime, global ambitions – but none of these will be admitted to. ----------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: The Moscow Times — "Putin Demands Answers as Russia's Economy Undershoots Expectations" (April 15, 2026) Bloomberg — "Putin Orders Officials to Explain Russia's Economic Slowdown as GDP Falls" (April 15, 2026)Meduza — "Putin says Russia's GDP contraction in first 2 months of year is due to seasonal factors" (April 15, 2026) Xinhua / Free Malaysia Today — "Putin sounds alarm over Russia's slowing economy" (April 15, 2026) EADaily / Bloomberg report — "In Russia, they decided not to jam Telegram because of the fall in Putin's rating" (April 14, 2026) The Moscow Times — "Russia's Civilian Industry Downturn Accelerated in Early 2026" (March 30, 2026) Euromaidan Press — "Moscow booms as Russia's provinces collapse under war costs" (January 13, 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Why Major Russian Factories Are Shifting to Three-Day Workweeks" (April 2026)NV (New Voice of Ukraine) — "Russia's GDP shrinks 1.8% as 22 industries slide into decline" (April 2026) RBC Ukraine — "Crisis deepens in Russia's auto sector as KAMAZ trims workweek and AvtoVAZ shuts down line" (April 2026) The Moscow Times — "Russia's Rusal to Shutter Major Silicon Plant as Industry Cuts Deepen" (November 17, 2025) Militarnyi — "Russian Tank-Building Uralvagonzavod Announced Large-Scale Layoffs" (November 7, 2025) World Socialist Web Site — "Russia: Mass layoffs, strikes amid expanding war" (March 30, 2026) ----------