Silicon Curtain

2025-11-12 | Silicon Wafers 053 | Ukraine’s $100M Energy Graft Scandal. Ukraine’s anti-graft agencies say they’ve cracked a $100 million kickback ring in the energy sector, centred on state nuclear operator Energoatom. Seven suspects, five in custody, two on the run — and the blast radius of this scandal now reaches cabinet level. President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed for the ousting of two ministers as searches, arrests, and wiretaps spill into public view. All this while Ukraine gears up for EU accession and Russia pounds Ukraine’s grid. (The Washington Post)What is “Operation Midas”? Ukraine’s independent anti-corruption bodies — NABU and SAPO — unveiled a long-running probe alleging 10–15% “rebates” skimmed from Energoatom contractors by a “high-level criminal organization.” The alleged total: $100 million. (The Washington Post)Investigators say the scheme matured over 15 months and 1,000 hours of audio; 70 raids followed. (The Washington Post) Status as of today: NABU/SAPO say five detained, seven charged, two fugitives remain at large. We’ll name who’s who in a moment. (Reuters)----------SOURCES: Washington Post — Ukraine announces energy corruption probe… (Nov 11, 2025)Al Jazeera — Ukraine anticorruption agency alleges $100m energy kickback scheme (Nov 10, 2025)Interfax-Ukraine (EN) — During investigation… names of 4 ministers recorded – NABU detective (Nov 11, 2025)Reuters — Ukraine moves to quell $100 million energy corruption scandal (Nov 12, 2025)The Guardian — Ukraine’s energy sector faces wide-scale investigation… (Nov 10, 2025)The Guardian — Zelenskyy fires ministers accused of involvement… (Nov 12, 2025)Kyiv Post — Ukraine Hit by Mega-Corruption Scandal: 7 Suspects, 2 Fugitives… (Nov 12, 2025)Kyiv Post — Zelensky Demands Ministers’ Resignations as Energy Corruption Scandal Deepens (Nov 12, 2025)Euronews — NABU probe: 70 raids; 15-month investigation (Nov 11, 2025)The Irish Times — Kickback claims at Energoatom; safety unaffected (Nov 11, 2025)CEPA — Ukraine’s Corruption Probe — Bad But Not Terminal (Nov 12, 2025)Mezha (ENG) — *Ukraine proposes new Energoatom supervisory board (with G7) (Nov 12, 2025)----------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----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone’ podcast @NoDelusionZone is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians.----------LINKS: @NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------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/----------

Down, but not out. American democracy in the 21st century.----------Marci Shore is an American professor at the Monk School Munk School of Global Affairs and previously professor of intellectual history at Yale University, where she specializes in the history of literary and political engagement with Marxism and phenomenology. Marci is author of Caviar and Ashes: A Warsaw Generation's Life and Death in Marxism, 1918–1968, and of The Taste of Ashes, a study of the presence of the communist and Nazi past in today's Eastern Europe. But today we will be discussing her most recent book, about the Revolution of Dignity – The Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution. ----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/marci_shorehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marci_Shorehttps://jackson.yale.edu/person/marci-shore/https://history.yale.edu/people/marci-shorehttps://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300276831/the-ukrainian-night/https://www.ukrainianworldcongress.org/marci-shore-on-revolution-of-dignity/----------BOOKS:The Taste of AshesThe Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution----------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 frontline towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain/collections----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------DESCRIPTION:The Dangers of Authoritarianism: In-Depth with Marcy ShawIn this compelling episode, Jonathan welcomes Marcy Shaw, a historian specializing in Marxism and phenomenology, to discuss the ongoing struggle in Ukraine and its implications. The conversation unveils crucial insights into the brutal realities of the Ukrainian conflict and the strategic manipulation by Russia under Putin. They explore the normalization of politics in abnormal times and the unsettling parallels between historical tyrannies and current authoritarian regimes. The discussion expands to the broader context of authoritarian tendencies, including those in the United States, revealing a worrying drift towards impunity, ritual humiliation, and performative sadism. The episode ends on a thought-provoking note, setting the stage for future discussions on resisting authoritarianism.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/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/----------

Silicon Bites Ep269 | News Update - Day 1,357 - 2025-11-11 | Robots at the Pier: Ukraine’s Sea War Moves Ashore. Tonight: Ukrainian robot boats slam into Russia’s Black Sea energy lifeline. We’ll break down what got hit, why Tuapse matters, and how Sea Baby and Magura drones, plus the Flamingo long-range missile program, fit into a winter of attrition against the Kremlin’s oil cashflow and logistics.What happened last night in the Black Sea? Overnight, multiple Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels—call them USVs, call them robot boats — surged into Tuapse, one of Russia’s critical Black Sea oil export hubs. Local videos showed at least two heavy blasts and fires inside the harbour area. The Kyiv Independent reports: “Russia's port town of Tuapse… was rocked by explosions… local Telegram channels reported an attack by Ukrainian sea drones,” adding that regional authorities later confirmed an attack and claimed they destroyed four USVs. They also admitted: “One of the unmanned boats detonated near the shoreline… the shock wave damaged the second-floor windows… a garage and a boat shed.” Though we suspect that much more stuff than this went boom. (Nov. 10, The Kyiv Independent)----------SOURCES: https://kyivindependent.com/explosion-in-russian-black-sea-port-of-tuapse-amid-reported-sea-drone-attack/ - "Explosion in Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse amid reported sea drone attack"https://www.kyivpost.com/post/63972 - "Ukrainian Robot Boats Hit Russian Black Sea Oil Terminal"https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russias-tuapse-halted-fuel-exports-after-drone-attacks-refinery-stopped-sources-2025-11-05/ - "Russia's Tuapse halted fuel exports after drone attacks ..."https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/11/04/spill-discovered-in-black-sea-after-ukrainian-strike-on-tuapse-oil-terminal-bbc-a91030 - "Spill Discovered in Black Sea After Ukrainian Strike on ..."https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-25/oil-loadings-resume-at-russian-black-sea-terminals-after-attacks - "Oil Loadings Resume at Black Sea Terminals After Attacks"https://theins.ru/en/news/285238 - "Two terminals at Russia's key Black Sea port of Novorossiysk ..."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuapse_oil_terminal - "Tuapse oil terminal"https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-sea-baby-drones-are-growing-up-with-longer-range-bigger-payload-2025-10-22/ "Ukraine's 'sea baby' drones are growing up with longer range, bigger payload | Reuters"https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/10/ukraine-unveils-sea-baby-usv-armed-with-rockets-and-machine-gun/ - "Ukraine unveils Sea Baby USV armed with rockets and ..."https://apnews.com/article/0719211dd0314f2b9d15422e81ca66e3 - "Ukraine unveils upgraded sea drone it says can strike anywhere in the Black Sea"https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/september/ukraines-magura-naval-drones-black-sea-equalizers - "Ukraine's Magura Naval Drones: Black Sea Equalizers"https://kyivindependent.com/sbu-releases-new-baby-sea-drones-confirms-it-was-used-in-an-attack-on-sea-bridge/ - "SBU reveals next-gen Sea Baby naval drones, confirms ..."----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Adam P. Dixon has extensive experience in Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union as a consultant, businessman and entrepreneur, working mostly in aviation and telecommunications. He is currently working on a range of innovative military technologies, including a platform for the removal of landmines. Mr. Dixon studied at Harvard, Oxford, and Leningrad State University.----------LINKS:https://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-men-behind-vladimir-putins-forever-warhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-dixon-ba9758238/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------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----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

2025-11-10 | Silicon Wafers 052 | DAILY UPDATES | Russia hurls one of the biggest mixed salvos of the war at Ukraine’s power system; Kyiv is hit by emergency blackouts; Ukraine says Russia hit substations that feed nuclear plants; and Moscow pushes a fresh Zaporizhzhia “nuclear plot” narrative. We’ll separate facts from threats, fearmongering from the terrifying reality.The strike: one of the largest against Ukraine’s energy grid. Overnight into Nov 8, Russia launched 45 missiles and 450 drones at Ukrainian targets, damaging energy infrastructure across multiple regions and sparking fires in Kyiv. At least seven people were killed overall, including in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, with widespread outages reported. (The Guardian)----------SOURCES: Kyiv Independent — “Kyiv faces over 12 hours of emergency power cuts…” (Nov. 8, 2025)Kyiv Independent — “Russia targeted substations powering nuclear plants…” (Nov. 8, 2025)The Guardian — “Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities kill at least seven” (Nov. 8, 2025)Reuters — “Russia hits several key Ukraine energy facilities…” (Nov. 8, 2025)Financial Times — “Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting nuclear substations” (Nov. 9, 2025)Kyiv Post — “Moscow Claims Ukraine, NATO Plot Nuclear Disaster…” (Nov. 6, 2025)IAEA — Updates on ZNPP safety status, power vulnerability (Updates 308–310)Reuters — “Repairs begin on Zaporizhzhia power plant lines…” (Oct. 18, 2025)----------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----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Silicon Bites Ep268 | News Update - Day 1,356 - 2025-11-10 | ----------SOURCES: Monetary policy & macro* Bank of Russia key rate cut to 16.5% (Oct 24, 2025), official release. (Central Bank of Russia)* Reuters explainer on the cut and inflation backdrop. (Reuters)* Manufacturing PMI contraction (Aug 1, 2025). (Reuters)Budget, debt, NWF* Debt-service share and 2026 increase. (Reuters)* Siluanov on liquid NWF ~3.3–4 trln rubles. (Reuters)* VAT to 22% in 2026; tax package and SME pushback; phased VAT-threshold changes. (Reuters)Industry, labor, rail* Six industrial giants shorten workweeks; RZD unpaid days; AvtoVAZ 4-day week through 2025; UVZ restructuring. (Reuters)* RZD cargo shortfall document; investment cuts. (Reuters)Retail & households* Grocery volumes and margin collapse. (The Moscow Times)War-energy feedback* Refinery hits, diesel export slump. (Financial Times)* Volgograd refinery re-hit. (AP News)* National fuel shortage after strikes (context). (The Washington Post)Mobilization payouts* Regions slashing sign-on bonuses. (The Moscow Times)* Shift to 400–800k rubles. (Eurasia Review)Additional viewing:* Michael Naki and Vladimir Milov’s macro economic brief (budget, debt, inflation, rate dynamics).----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

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/ ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and 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----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

2025-11-09 | Silicon Wafers 051 | DAILY UPDATES | Despite the profusion of stories we’ve covered, the battle for Pokrovsk, energy sanctions, and so on, the most important strategic angle on the war this winter is the attritional energy war. And it’s unlike the Western attitude to the war throughout all these four years – to cede the escalation dominance to Russia, always pulling punches, in support for Ukraine, and never allowing its ally to land a decisive blow on Russia. Now Ukraine is takin off the gloves, because below the nuclear threshold, there is nothing holding back Russia’s viciousness and violence. Ukraine is seeking to inflict greater costs on Russia in the energy war, than it can impose upon Ukraine. This ‘escalation’ is the only way to make it clear to Putin he cannot win and is the only way to inflict economic and social costs that start to make Putin’s brittle regime appear vulnerable to its internal audience. Nothing else will get through to Putin. Nothing at all. Ukraine’s “doomsday lever”? Hitting the Yamal network — myth vs. math. There is an inescapable logic to the course of this existential escalation for Ukraine’s existence. It starts with testing the theory of imposing blackouts and heating denial to smaller, non-strategic Russian towns. Belgorod, Vladimir, Voronezh. And this is happening now. The next stage is to test supporting infrastructure around Moscow – electricity substations, energy supply routes for fuel, gas and oil products. This is happening. Beyond that, are substantial and extended blackouts in smaller towns, then Moscow and St. Petersburg. But that’s not the final arrow in Ukraine’s quiver. It has a doomsday option – hitting Yamal Cross. If none of the other escalatory steps lead to an unconditional ceasefire, then I suggest it’s a near certainly that we’ll reach the doomsday stage for Moscow by end of this winter. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine’s beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: Ukrainian attacks in Russia’s Belgorod, Kursk oblasts leave ≥20,000 without power — The Moscow Times/AFP, Nov. 9, 2025‘A powerful secondary detonation’ — Donetsk airport Shahed hub strike — Kyiv Independent, Nov. 6, 2025Volgograd refinery halted after drone strike — Reuters, Nov. 6, 2025Crimea oil depot fire (Simferopol/Hvardiiske) after drone attacks — Ukrinform, Nov. 6, 2025Bashkortostan: Sterlitamak petrochemical plant struck — Kyiv Independent, Nov. 7, 2025Russian rebel group sabotages locomotives — Kyiv Post, Nov. 6, 2025ORLEN–Naftogaz: three U.S. LNG cargoes in Q1 2026 (≥300 mcm) — ORLEN press release; Naftogaz release; Polish Radio; Kyiv Independent, Nov. 7–8, 2025Energy attrition context: Reuters refinery capacity tally, Sept. 1, 2025. (Reuters)Gas flows & the Yamal reality check — Bruegel (end of transit via Ukraine, Jan. 1, 2025); Gas Strategies (financial impact); Oxford Energy (transit mechanics)Operational/tech framing of the strike campaign — CSIS analyses, 2025----------

Dr. Douglas J. Davis, MD, PhD is MCW Office of Global Health Liaison, Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin----------Ukraine’s Winter War Is the World’s Test — and America Can’t Afford to BlinkOPINION — Two weeks ago, my colleagues and I stood in Dnipro while warning sirens cut across the city and Shahed drones screamed overhead. We had come as a medical-humanitarian delegation to inspect [...] More----------LINKS: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/dr-douglas-j-davis-md-phd https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-davis-md-phd-86a9bb3/ ----------DESCRIPTION:The Geopolitical and Strategic Impacts of Russia's War in Ukraine: An Expert AnalysisDr. Douglas Davis, a Ukrainian by marriage and a noted medical professional, delves deep into the geopolitical and strategic significance of Russia's war in Ukraine. With Jonathan as the host, Dr. Davis discusses his personal connection to Ukraine and the broad range of activities he is involved in to support the nation. The conversation spans several key topics including the criticality of defending Karska, the evolving dynamics of authoritarian regimes, the implications of an intensified war in Ukraine, and the potential geopolitical maneuvers by Russia. This episode also touches on the innovative cycles in military technology and the broader implications for global security. Dr. Davis provides an insightful analysis into both historical and contemporary strategies employed by Russia and its allies, laying bare the complexities of modern warfare and the political landscape.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction to Dr. Douglas Davis and His Connection to Ukraine00:51 Douglas Davis' Personal and Professional Background03:01 Historical Context and Geopolitical Insights04:48 The Ideological and Strategic Threat of Russia19:09 The Critical Battle for Kursk and Its Implications30:29 The Broader Geopolitical Landscape and Authoritarian Alliances42:42 Technological Warfare and Innovation Cycles50:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------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/----------

Silicon Bites Ep267 | News Update - Day 1,354 - 2025-11-08 | AI fakes try to poison Ukraine’s mobilization debate; Washington grants Budapest a carve-out on Russian energy; Kyiv’s defence industry talks up its potential with $30–35 billion in long-range output for 2026; the EU tightens visa screws on Russian nationals; Pokrovsk hangs in the balance; mysterious drones snarl Belgian airspace; and Germany’s AfD faces “sleeper cell” accusations on the Bundestag floor. Let’s try to anchor ourselves amidst the apparent chaos. “AI soldiers” and the mobilization disinfo surge. A new wave of AI-generated “soldier” videos — young men pleading that they’re being “forced” to the front — has flooded TikTok, X, and Telegram in multiple languages this week. The goal: erode trust in Ukraine’s leadership, spook families, and fracture Western support. (The Kyiv Independent) Despite the crudity and absurdity of many of the videos, some will be fooled, and it provides fodder for Kremlin assets and useful idiots to ‘flood the zone’.----------SOURCES: Kyiv Independent — “AI soldiers: How deepfakes are manipulating Ukraine’s mobilization narrative” (Nov. 7, 2025)Kyiv Independent — “Zelensky blames ex-energy chief…” (Nov. 7, 2025)Kyiv Independent — “Ukraine estimates its long-range weapon production at over $30 billion in 2026” (Nov. 7, 2025)Interfax-Ukraine (summary of the same briefing) (Nov. 7, 2025)AP News — “Orbán says Trump will not punish Hungary for buying Russian energy…” (Nov. 7, 2025)The Guardian — “Trump–Orbán meeting: US gives Hungary exemption from sanctions on Russian oil and gas” (Nov. 7, 2025)European Commission (DG HOME) — Implementing decision on multiple-entry visas for Russian nationals (Nov. 7, 2025). ([Migration and Home Affairs)Reuters — “EU toughens visa rules for Russians” (Nov. 7, 2025)Kyiv Independent — “Ukraine’s defense of Pokrovsk on a knife-edge…” (Nov. 6, 2025)AP News — “Drone sightings halt flights at major European cargo airport in Belgium” (Nov. 8, 2025)Al Jazeera — “Belgium’s Liège airport temporarily halts flights after new drone sighting” (Nov. 7, 2025)The Guardian — “Belgium to hold security meeting after drone sightings… (source says Russia ‘very probably’ responsible)” (Nov. 6, 2025)Euronews — “Lawmakers accuse AfD of spying… ‘sleeper cell loyal to Russia’” (Nov. 6, 2025)----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

2025-11-07 | Silicon Wafers 050 | Is Sergei Lavrov on the way out? After that embarrassment of the non-summit in Budapest, and the cold treatment of Kirill Dmitriev in Washington, it looks like Lavrov is falling out of favour with the Kremlin. But will he also be falling out with those square shaped and glazed objects, designed to let light into tall buildings? Budapest blows up, G20 gets awkward – it looks like Lavrov’s star is waning. How we will miss his disingenuous horse-face. Not. Plans for the Budapest were a bust. Washington bailed on the Trump–Putin summit after a hardline Russian approach to the negotiations. The inflexibility of the Kremlin and its main foreign policy minion Lavrov went down badly with Secretary of State Rubio. Now it seems Lavrov is taking the blame, or so it seems from Moscow’s rumour mill, as the Kremlin quietly swaps him out for the upcoming G20 summit. There are few confirmed facts but let that not stop us from diving into the fevered world of Kremlinology. It might also help to have a jocular reminder of happens to officials who fall from Putin’s grace — from soft landings to prison cells, to altitude cancer and very hard landings.----------SOURCES: “The U.S. then cancelled the summit following a call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.” — Reuters, Oct 31, 2025“radically changed under European influence” — The Moscow Times, Oct 27, 2025“will be led by Presidential Administration Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin.” — TASS, Nov 4, 2025“has ordered government officials to evaluate the feasibility of restarting Russia’s own nuclear tests.” — AP News, Nov 5, 2025“was demoted but remains an advisor in the Kremlin.” — RAND, Jun 27, 2024“removed Sergei Surovikin… as head of the air force” — Reuters, Aug 23, 2023“sentenced to eight years in jail” — Reuters, Dec 15, 2017 (Ulyukayev)----------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----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Silicon Bites Ep266 - Day 1,353 - 2025-11-07 | Civil War is Kremlin’s #1 Fear, according to the Kremlin’s own chief sociologist. If I was asked this question, I’d have said it’s a low probability, as is the fragmentation of Russia into myriad smaller states. Not impossible, but very unlikely, even after the conclusion of Putin’s disastrous war in Ukraine. On this channel, we have speculated extensively that a palace coup is more likely, or a kind of oligarch civil war, for a limited period and with limited scope. But Alexander Kharichev has put in black and white what Moscow usually whispers— the number one threat to Russia is… civil war, he writes. So, do they know something we don’t? Or is this classic paranoia from the minion of a tyrannical and geriatric dictator? Is this Kremlin syndrome that sees enemies and calamity around every corner? Let’s explore this question. “Who Are We?”: The Kremlin’s early warning system. Alexander Kharichev, the powerful head of the Presidential Directorate for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes, published an essay called “Кто мы?” (Who Are We?) in the journal Gosudarstvo. In it, he lists five “civilizational challenges,” facing Russia, and more specifically the Kremlin, and tops the list with civil war / internal split. Russian business daily Vedomosti reviewed the piece and confirmed the framing and source.----------SOURCES: Michael Naki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn1HBcsrwDA&t=941s https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2025/11/05/27105038.shtml https://sia.ru/?section=410&action=show_news&id=16821490 https://www.moscowtimes.ru/2025/11/05/v-kremle-uvideli-ugrozu-grazhdanskoi-voini-v-rossii-a179190 https://deita.ru/article/577119 https://charter97.org/ru/news/2025/11/5/661891/----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------DESCRIPTION:Is Russia Facing Civil War? Kremlin's Top Threat RevealedIn this episode of Silicon Bites, the host discusses a recent article by Alexander Karachi, a senior Kremlin sociologist, which reveals that the Kremlin's number one fear is civil war in Russia. The episode delves into the five civilizational challenges listed in the article and argues that a palace coup or elite conflict over resources is a more likely scenario than a full-blown civil war. The script also examines the economic strains, rising living costs, and extreme military spending that are exacerbating Russia's vulnerabilities. The episode ends by highlighting the Kremlin's flawed solutions of increased militarization and ideological indoctrination, which may accelerate the fragmentation and collapse of the Russian state.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Gratitude00:58 The Kremlin's Greatest Fear: Civil War02:17 Analyzing the Article: Five Civilizational Challenges11:59 Economic Strain and War Spending18:25 Corruption and Internal Conflict23:44 Potential Regime Collapse and Future Outlook26:27 Conclusion: The Kremlin's Paranoia and Future----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Livestream with Yuri Rashkin----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine’s beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------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----------https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainDonate and Receive - Collectable PatchAUTUMN HARVEST TRUCKS 2025. Part of our 2025 patch collection. Everyone who contributes €100 (~$115) or more will be able to receive it.For our Autumn patch, we present the Galician Lion. The rampant lion represents power and intelligence. It has represented Western Ukrainian people since the 1100s. The Ruthenian lion, also known as the Ukrainian lion or Galician lion, was featured on the historic coat of arms of: The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (Ruthenia)1199-1349, The battle flag of the Lviv land in the Battle of Tannenberg, 1410 The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Administration) 1434-1772 and The Western Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919. The Ukrainian national liberation movement, 1948----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------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/-----------

Steven Moore is a political strategist, who spent seven years as a chief of staff and senior leadership aide in the United States Congress, developing relationships with senior policymakers across the United States and around the world. He worked on Capitol Hill in the House of Representatives mostly as chief of staff for former Rep. Pete Roskam (R-Ill.), the former chief deputy GOP whip. In that role, Moore was one of the most influential staff members on the Republican side of the aisle. ----------LINKS:https://x.com/MooreUSAhttps://x.com/UKRAINEFREEDOM7https://www.ukrainer.net/ukraine-through-the-eyes-of-steven-moore/https://stevenmoore.substack.com/https://substack.com/@steveninkyiv----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/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-ukraineUkrainian Freedom Newshttps://www.ukrainianfreedomnews.com/donation/UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/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----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

2025-11-05 | Silicon Wafers 049 | DAILY UPDATES | Pokrovsk, the contested Donetsk rail-and-road hub has become the most consequential urban fight since Avdiivka, and the outcome of that fight may turn out to be instrumental for the outcome of the war, not only against Ukraine, but Russia’s war against Western democracy. In today’s episode, we are zooming in on the battle for Pokrovsk. We’ll explain why Russia is so desperate to take it, what Ukraine is doing to hold it, the claims and counterclaims on the ground, and what happens next if Russia’s offensive stalls — or if it succeeds.On Sunday, Valery Gerasimov, Russian chief of staff, told President Vladimir Putin his 2nd and 51st Combined Arms Armies were "advancing along converging axes" and "have completed the encirclement of the enemy" in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. He claimed 5,500 Ukrainian troops were surrounded. But Russian military reporters contradicted these claims, with one named "Military Informant" telling 621,000 Telegram subscribers, "There is simply no encirclement". Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was categorical last Saturday: while the situation in Pokrovsk remains "hardest" for Ukrainian forces, there is no encirclement or blockade as Russia has claimed. He insisted a comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine’s beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: Explosions at refineries/petrochemicals; blackouts: Kyiv Independent, “Explosions rock Russian ammunition depot… amid mass Ukrainian drone strike” (Nov. 4, 2025)Kstovo refinery/petrochemicals: Ukrainska Pravda (Nov. 4, 2025)Round-up of eight regions hit: UNITED24 (Nov. 4, 2025)Tuapse tanker/terminal strike: Reuters (Nov. 2, 2025)Tuapse oil spill: The Moscow Times (Nov. 4, 2025) Pokrovsk live/warlatest: Kyiv Independent (Nov. 3–4, 2025) ----------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----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone’ podcast @NoDelusionZone is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians. ----------LINKS: @NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------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/----------

Silicon Bites Ep265 - Day 1,351 - 2025-11-05 | Donetsk, the contested Donetsk rail-and-road hub has become the most consequential urban fight since Avdiivka, and the outcome of that fight may turn out to be instrumental for the outcome of the war, not only against Ukraine, but Russia’s war against Western democracy. In today’s episode, we are zooming in on the battle for Pokrovsk. We’ll explain why Russia is so desperate to take it, what Ukraine is doing to hold it, the claims and counterclaims on the ground, and what happens next if Russia’s offensive stalls — or if it succeeds.On Sunday, Valery Gerasimov, Russian chief of staff, told President Vladimir Putin his 2nd and 51st Combined Arms Armies were "advancing along converging axes" and "have completed the encirclement of the enemy" in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. He claimed 5,500 Ukrainian troops were surrounded. But Russian military reporters contradicted these claims, with one named "Military Informant" telling 621,000 Telegram subscribers, "There is simply no encirclement". Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was categorical last Saturday: while the situation in Pokrovsk remains "hardest" for Ukrainian forces, there is no encirclement or blockade as Russia has claimed. He insisted a comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.----------SOURCES: The Guardian — Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy visits troops near embattled Pokrovsk (Nov 5, 2025) The Guardian — Ukraine deploys special forces to Pokrovsk in effort to hold key city (Nov 2, 2025)Reuters — Ukraine says its troops still holding out in Pokrovsk as Moscow says pincer closing (Nov 1, 2025)The Moscow Times/AFP — Zelensky Visits Troops Near Threatened Pokrovsk (Nov 4, 2025)Kyiv Independent — Russia claims HUR special forces raid… Ukraine denies, Syrskyi insists ‘no encirclement’ (Nov 1, 2025)Kyiv Independent — Russian ‘sabotage’ unit that killed civilians in Pokrovsk later eliminated (Oct 20, 2025)----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Noel Tock has been in Ukraine since 2023, part-time running frontline evacuations. He has founded and participated in several charities to support Ukraine, and to pioneer work on the ground that is transparent in funding sources and effective in action. He is Director of Strategy at KLYN Drones and Dog Help Kharkiv and Co-Founder - Volara Foundation. ----------Director of Strategy – KLYN DronesNon-profit assembling FPV drones sent to AFU Special Operations Forces and other units / brigades. 95% of components are Ukrainian, making this charity unique in its sourcing and with donations going back into the Ukrainian economy. Volunteer-powered. Director of Strategy at Dog Help KharkivPart of the core team (in co-operation with NOR DOG), and part-time on-site in Kharkiv with trips around eastern Ukraine. Various work around fundraising, brand development, marketing, digital, and the occasional wrestling with uncooperative animals near frontlines. Accidental connoisseur of Ukrainian gas station food. Co-Founder - Volara Foundation Kharkiv, UkraineFoundation that supports multiple frontline micro-charities — they are high impact & direct-action teams. The need for this arose from my own experiences living in Kharkiv and experiencing the huge disconnect between on-the-ground teams which are not visible to western supporters. This is my highest leverage play as a direct result of my frontline experiences. DM me to support.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/noeltock/https://www.instagram.com/noeltock/https://volara.org/KLYN Drones, made in Ukraine - https://klyn.io/Dog Help Kharkiv - Volunteer-powered, complex animal evacuations from the front lines -https://dog-help-kharkiv.org/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------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----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

2025-11-04 | Silicon Wafers 048 | DAILY UPDATES | We’re zeroing in on the Black Sea in today’s episode, much like Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s sea-drone campaign has lit up Russia’s oil hub at Tuapse, with a tanker fire, damaged loading gear, and — as per independent analysis — apparently creating an oil slick stretching several kilometres into open water. We’ll unpack the strike, the satellite evidence, the logistics pain for Moscow, and why this energy war matters for Ukraine’s survival through a tough winter campaign. (Reuters)What happened at Tuapse — the night of Nov. 1–2? In the early hours of Nov. 2, long-range Ukrainian drones hit the Tuapse oil terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast. Russian regional authorities acknowledged two foreign-flag vessels were damaged and that fires broke out at the terminal; footage showed a tanker ablaze alongside port infrastructure. The latest tally puts the damage higher than the admitted losses. Reuters summed it bluntly: “A Ukrainian drone attack struck one of Russia’s main Black Sea oil ports… causing a fire and damaging at least one ship.” (Nov. 2). (Reuters)----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine’s beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-drone-attack-damages-russias-tuapse-port-sparks-fire-russia-says-2025-11-01/https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-strike-russia-tuapse-oil-terminal/33579429.htmlhttps://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-reportedly-strikes-oil-terminal-in-russias-krasnodar-krai/https://www.kyivpost.com/post/63457https://united24media.com/latest-news/satellite-images-reveal-pipeline-rupture-and-tanker-fire-at-russian-tuapse-oil-terminal-13043https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/11/04/spill-discovered-in-black-sea-after-ukrainian-strike-on-tuapse-oil-terminal-bbc-a91030https://maritime-executive.com/article/satellite-imaging-confirms-oil-spill-at-port-of-tuapsehttps://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/8/10/875https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-paralyzes-russias-key-black-sea-oil-terminals-with-drone-strikes-hur-source-claims/https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russian-energy-facilities-targeted-drone-attacks-2025-08-22/----------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----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------