Silicon Curtain

2026-03-28 | UPDATES #156 | VYBORG: Ukraine Just Sank Putin's Arctic Dream a Thousand Kilometres from the Front Line. I used to go there from St Petersburg on weekend trips, to stroll around a city with a European scale and ambience (even though it has degenerated from a vibrant cosmopolitan city to a village mentality, when the Soviets stole it from the Finns). It’s odd to see places from one’s past descend into battlegrounds, with air raid sirens wailing and explosions detonating. A thousand kilometres from the nearest Ukrainian position. A shipyard on the Baltic Sea, 30 kilometres from the Finnish border. A city that used to be Finnish, that changed hands in wars most people have forgotten. And there, listing to port in the grey water of the harbour, her hull leaning against a neighbouring research vessel — a brand new Russian military icebreaker, built for Putin's FSB, designed to project power across the Arctic, worth an estimated €220 million.The Purga. Project 23550. Russia's state-of-the-art combat icebreaker. Struck by Ukrainian drones on the night of March 24th to 25th. Now keeling over in the port of Vyborg. This is symbolism of the highest order. It's a message to the Kremlin that nowhere is safe. Not your oil ports. Not your shipyards. Not your Arctic ambitions. Ukraine can reach all of 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!----------

Malcolm Nance is a former career US Naval Intelligence officer specializing in counter-terrorism, intelligence and violent extremism. He has been an advisor to the US government’s law enforcement, Homeland Security and Intelligence agencies. As an Arabic-speaking special intelligence collections operator, field interrogator he provided top secret anti and counter-terrorism support to national intelligence agencies while on numerous reconnaissance and combat operations in the Balkans, Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. On April 18, 2022, Nance revealed that he had joined the Ukrainian Foreign Legion in March 2022. In an interview with Michael Harriot of The Guardian, Nance alluded to African-American military aviator Eugene Bullard's service in the French Foreign Legion to his service in Ukraine, hoping to inspire "African Americans and young Americans who have been in the military" and describing the International Legion as "the pantheon of the defense of democracy in the defense of Ukraine".----------BOOKS: The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our EnemiesImage of Hacking ISIS: How to Destroy the Cyber JihadThe Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to StealDefeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe----------LINKS:https://x.com/MalcolmNancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Nancehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolmnance/https://www.spymuseum.org/host-an-event/spy-speaker-series/malcolm-nance/https://us.macmillan.com/author/malcolmnance----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:Malcolm Nance on Trump’s Iran War, Market Manipulation Claims, and the New Asymmetric BattlefieldMalcolm Nance, a former US Navy cryptography and intelligence officer and national security commentator, joins Silicon Curtain to argue that Trump’s Iran war reflects personal pathology more than coherent domestic or foreign policy, describing an “imperial presidency” mindset and warning of dangerous, grift-driven decision-making. Nance alleges war-related announcements are timed to minimize market impact and enable profiteering, citing claims of stock moves tied to Trump’s circle, and says US leadership is unprepared for modern asymmetric warfare where cheap drones can overwhelm expensive defenses and cause massive economic damage. The discussion covers alleged US alignment with Moscow’s interests, hostility to Ukraine, and shifting Middle East security dynamics as Gulf states seek Ukrainian drone-defense expertise. Nance points to troop and logistics movements—special operations airlift, airborne deployments, parachute loads, and runway repair units—as indicators of potential escalatory operations involving Gulf islands or Iranian facilities, warning of catastrophic consequences.----------

2026-03-25 | UPDATES #154 | The economy is where the detail gets most technically damning. And here, Naki provides something Zygar's op-ed gestures at but doesn't fully document: the forensic evidence from inside the Russian financial system itself. In February 2026, the Centre for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting — known by its Russian acronym CMAKP — formally registered what it called a latent banking crisis. This is not an opposition think-tank. As Naki stresses: "This is an organisation maximally close to the authorities. The brother of Defence Minister Belousov works there. It publishes real economic data." And by its own formal criteria, the share of problem assets in the Russian banking system exceeded 10 percent. A crisis — described as "latent" because the state is actively concealing it. Banks are restructuring hopeless loans rather than writing them off. State banks are not being allowed to go bankrupt. The statistics are being massaged.----------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: Mikhail Zygar / New York Times — "For Putin, the War in Iran Changed Everything" (March 25, 2026)Mikhail Zygar / The Last Pioneer (Substack) — "When the Internet Disappears" (March 19, 2026)Mykhailo Naki — "PUTIN IS LOSING — AND HE KNOWS IT. The Kremlin for the First Time Thought About an Exit from the War" (YouTube, March 25, 2026)Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) — "Iran War Won't Save Putin's Crumbling Economy" (March 3, 2026)Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) — "From Tehran to Donbas: What the Iran War Means for Russia and Ukraine" (March 2026)Mikhail Khodorkovsky / Ukraine Today — "The Iran War Is Good for Putin — But Not Good Enough" (March 20, 2026)Russia Matters (Harvard Kennedy School) — "Russia Analytical Report, March 9–16, 2026"Fortune — "Putin is the real winner in Trump's Iran war as it puts Russian oil back on the map" (March 23, 2026)----------

2026-03-25 | UPDATES #153 | How Trump's Iran War Gave Putin a Reprieve He Doesn't Deserve. Based on Mikhail Zygar's New York Times Op-Ed (March 25, 2026) and Mykhailo Naki's Video Analysis. Plastering over the cracks. It is the end of January 2026. Russia is selling oil to India at twenty-two dollars a barrel. Twenty-two dollars. About a third of the market price. The country that funds its wars with oil money is offloading its most valuable export for the price of scrap metal — because nobody else will take it.At the same moment, inside the Kremlin, something unprecedented is stirring. After four years of dismissing every economic warning, every bankruptcy protection, every desperate memo from the Finance Ministry — Vladimir Putin is paying attention. According to those close to him, he is allegedly beginning to think, seriously and concretely, about ending the war. Not through the theatre of negotiations that has been running on a loop since early 2025, and without serious intent behind them. A real exit. With real signals. Including two moves that, if taken, would have sent shockwaves through Moscow's political system.----------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: Mikhail Zygar / New York Times — "For Putin, the War in Iran Changed Everything" (March 25, 2026)Mikhail Zygar / The Last Pioneer (Substack) — "When the Internet Disappears" (March 19, 2026)Mykhailo Naki — "PUTIN IS LOSING — AND HE KNOWS IT. The Kremlin for the First Time Thought About an Exit from the War" (YouTube, March 25, 2026)Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) — "Iran War Won't Save Putin's Crumbling Economy" (March 3, 2026)Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) — "From Tehran to Donbas: What the Iran War Means for Russia and Ukraine" (March 2026)Mikhail Khodorkovsky / Ukraine Today — "The Iran War Is Good for Putin — But Not Good Enough" (March 20, 2026)Russia Matters (Harvard Kennedy School) — "Russia Analytical Report, March 9–16, 2026"Fortune — "Putin is the real winner in Trump's Iran war as it puts Russian oil back on the map" (March 23, 2026)----------

Silicon Bites Ep307 | 2026-03-25 | Russia’s record attack on Ukraine — and the miracle defence that’s been overlooked.Nine hundred and forty-eight drones. In twenty-four hours. Between the evening of March 23rd and the evening of March 24th, Russia launched the largest aerial assault of the entire war against Ukraine — nearly a thousand drones and missiles fired at cities, at homes, at hospitals, at churches, at children. The Institute for the Study of War confirmed it: the largest Russian strike series since February 2022. The previous record? Eight hundred and ten launches, set back in September 2025.Ukraine shot down nine hundred and six of them. That is not just a record. That is a revolution in air defence. And almost nobody in the West is paying attention. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Interfax-Ukraine — "Russia launches record 948 drones at Ukraine in 24 hours, 906 downed or damaged – Air Force," March 24, 2026.Kyiv Independent — "Russian drones strike Lviv in daytime attack, casualties reported," March 24, 2026.NBC News — "Russian drones attack downtown Lviv in broad daylight," March 24, 2026.Euronews — "Almost 1,000 drones within 24 hours: Russia launched one of its largest attacks on Ukraine," March 24, 2026.Al Jazeera — "Russia fires 948 drones at Ukraine as new offensive begins," March 24, 2026.PBS News — "Russia fires 400 drones at Ukraine, signaling its spring offensive has started," March 24, 2026.The Art Newspaper — "Unesco-protected monastery in Lviv damaged by Russian drone strike," March 25, 2026.Atlantic Council / UkraineAlert — Peter Dickinson, "Russia bombs UNESCO site as Putin escalates attacks on Ukrainian civilians," March 24, 2026.United24 Media — "Russia Launches 982 Drones and Missiles in Record 24-Hour Attack on Ukraine," March 25, 2026.United24 Media — "UNESCO Speaks Out After Russian Drone Strike Hits Lviv World Heritage Site," March 25, 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----------

Silicon Bites Ep306 | 2026-03-24 | Russia has become a Digital GULAG, as Moscow and St Petersburg go offline. People are reverting to papers, paper maps and cash. Privileged urban Russians are losing their minds, as finally some of them wake up to the idea that the government does not exist to serve their interests, and maintain their privileges, but does not in fact give a damn about their comfort. Imagine living in one of the most digitised capital cities on the planet – because that is what Moscow is. A city where you pay for your coffee by tapping your phone, pay for everything that is electronically. Where you hail your taxi through an app, navigate by GPS, send money to a friend in seconds. A city that for years was held up — smugly, loudly, by its defenders — as proof that Russia was modern, thriving, untouched by war, despite an authoritarian government. This was a gilded cage, their argued, so why not just live life and enjoy it?!----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:The Moscow Times — "In Moscow, a Week of Mobile Internet Shutdowns Makes Life a Real Pain," March 13, 2026.The Moscow Times — "Widespread Mobile Internet Outages Are Lawful and Needed for Security, Kremlin Says," March 10, 2026.The Moscow Times — "Mobile Internet Outages Hit St. Petersburg After Days of Disruptions in Moscow," March 9, 2026.NBC News — "Mobile internet blackouts sweep Moscow, leaving residents feeling 'powerless'," March 17, 2026.CNN — "Internet outages disrupt daily life in Russia, fueling fears of a digital crackdown," March 21, 2026.Meduza — "The Kremlin says it's cutting off mobile Internet access for security reasons. Muscovites say they're resigning themselves to regular blackouts," March 10, 2026.Reuters (via U.S. News) — "Kremlin Says Moscow Mobile Internet Outages Are Done for Sake of Security," March 10, 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----------

2026-03-24 | UPDATES #152 | The reaction was instantaneous — and chaotic. Confused and fevered. On the pro-Kremlin side, there was something close to panic. Several people immediately speculated that Remeslo's account had been hacked. He shot that down by posting video messages insisting the words were his and his alone. He looked composed. He did not appear to be under duress. The Breakfast Show interview with Plyushchev put paid to that line of speculation. Apti Alaudinov — the commander of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's Akhmat special forces — publicly expressed alarm. He described Remeslo as someone who had always seemed completely level-headed and raised the possibility that he'd been kidnapped or was being held against his will (The Moscow Times, March 18, 2026).----------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 — "A Pro-Kremlin Blogger Has Denounced Putin – And Nobody Knows Why," March 18, 2026.NBC News — "A Kremlin loyalist suddenly turned against Putin. A day later, he was in a psychiatric hospital," March 20, 2026.Meduza — "A longtime pro-Putin blogger published a tirade against the Russian president. Now he's in a psychiatric hospital," March 20, 2026.RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) — "A Kremlin Cheerleader Rips Into Putin. A Day Later, He's In A Psychiatric Hospital," March 19, 2026.The Guardian — "Pro-Kremlin loyalist calls on Putin to go in abrupt volte-face," March 19, 2026.GB News — "'Vladimir Putin must go on trial — his war is going nowhere' blasts Kremlin loyalist," March 19, 2026.Bloomberg — "Kremlin Loyalist Turns on Putin as Russians Start to Tire of War," March 19, 2026.Kyiv Independent — "A pro-Kremlin blogger lashed out at Putin; he ended up in a psychiatric ward," March 19, 2026.----------

Adam Dunigan is a 2026 Democratic congressional candidate in Northern Virginia / Virginia’s 8th District. He is a former Marine combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan, later earned a bachelor’s degree in social psychology and a master’s in international relations from Harvard, moved to Virginia in 2014 for national-security work, and eventually served as a CIA case officer. He resigned from the CIA to run for Congress because he believed U.S. democracy was “backsliding” under Trump. ----------LINKS:https://www.adam4congress.com/https://x.com/adamduniganhttps://ballotpedia.org/Adam_Duniganhttps://www.instagram.com/adamduniganva8/https://secure.actblue.com/donate/adam-dunigan-1----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:----------CHAPTERS:----------THE 'FAITH UNDER SIEGE' TEAM ARE KIND SUPPORTERS OF SILICON CURTAIN: WEBSITE: https://www.faithundersiege.com/TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftGtdC-aO3kFILM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E4gJWdsyAACHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@UCx-2kTPvk4Z505gS2ZEch-A REVIEW: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35428172/----------

2026-03-23 | UPDATES #151 | Ilya Remeslo and the return of the Psikhushka – Political madhouse and state terror in Russia as a Kremlin attack dog turns to bite the hand that previously fed it. On Tuesday night, March 17th, 2026, a man who had spent a decade doing the Kremlin's dirtiest work — hounding dissidents, filing legal complaints against journalists, and personally helping to put Alexei Navalny behind bars — sat down in his flat in St Petersburg and did something nobody saw coming. He turned on Vladimir Putin. And within forty-eight hours, he was inside a psychiatric hospital.This is the story of Ilya Remeslo. And if you think you've heard everything about how the Putin regime eats its own — you haven't heard this. We’re only just getting started. ----------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 — "A Pro-Kremlin Blogger Has Denounced Putin – And Nobody Knows Why," March 18, 2026.NBC News — "A Kremlin loyalist suddenly turned against Putin. A day later, he was in a psychiatric hospital," March 20, 2026.Meduza — "A longtime pro-Putin blogger published a tirade against the Russian president. Now he's in a psychiatric hospital," March 20, 2026.RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) — "A Kremlin Cheerleader Rips Into Putin. A Day Later, He's In A Psychiatric Hospital," March 19, 2026.The Guardian — "Pro-Kremlin loyalist calls on Putin to go in abrupt volte-face," March 19, 2026.GB News — "'Vladimir Putin must go on trial — his war is going nowhere' blasts Kremlin loyalist," March 19, 2026.Bloomberg — "Kremlin Loyalist Turns on Putin as Russians Start to Tire of War," March 19, 2026.Kyiv Independent — "A pro-Kremlin blogger lashed out at Putin; he ended up in a psychiatric ward," March 19, 2026.----------

Silicon Bites Ep305 | 2026-03-24 | What is Russia testing? A drone crashes on a Lithuanian lake. A village called Lavisas. Varėna district, southern Lithuania. It’s 3:04 in the morning, local time. The forest is dark. The night is cold and the lake is frozen. And then — an eerie buzzing that lasts forty seconds. Followed by a blast and by burning fragments spinning up into the night sky and raining down onto the ice. Security camera footage captured the entire sequence. Lithuanian broadcaster LRT published it this morning. Forty seconds of engine noise, then a detonation, then fire falling from the sky onto a NATO member's territory — twenty kilometres from the border with Belarus. Accident or test? Trial run for a major provocation? Within hours of that blast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in a secure briefing with his chief of military intelligence, Oleh Ivashchenko. And Zelenskyy emerged with a stunning announcement that lands like a political detonation. Russia, Ukraine's intelligence services have confirmed, is planning to deploy four new long-range drone control stations on Belarusian territory. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Reuters / US News & World Report — "Lithuania Says a Suspected Drone Enters Its Airspace, Crashes Into Lake Near Belarus" (March 23, 2026)Aerotime — "Suspected cross-border drone explodes in southern Lithuania" (March 23, 2026)Global Banking and Finance — "Lithuania Reports Suspected Drone Crash Near Belarus Border" (March 23, 2026)RBC-Ukraine — "Drone crashes in Lithuania on March 23 near border with Belarus" (March 23, 2026)UA.NEWS — "Lithuania is convening a national security commission following the crash of a drone near the border with Belarus" (March 23, 2026)Reform.news — "Unknown Object Falls And Explodes Near Belarusian Border In Lithuania" (March 23, 2026)Charter'97 — "At Night, An Explosion Occurred In Lithuania Near The Border With Belarus" (March 23, 2026)Pravda EN — "Lithuanian Armed Forces claim drone fell in Varensky district" (March 23, 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----------

Ken Harbaugh is a former U.S. Navy pilot and mission commander who served from 1996 to 2005 as an EP-3 signals-intelligence aviator, flying missions focused on adversaries including Russia, North Korea, and China. After leaving the Navy, he earned a JD (Juris Doctor) from Yale Law School, taught at The Citadel and as a guest fellow at Yale, co-founded The Mission Continues and Got Your 6, later held senior leadership roles at Team Rubicon, and has since become a media and podcast figure through Burn the Boats, Warriors in Their Own Words, and The Ken Harbaugh Show. He is a senior correspondent for MeidasTouch.----------SEE DRONE HUNTERS OF KHERSON:https://thekenharbaughshow.substack.com/LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@UCon-4xKJzqoD1JOitZgT5cQ https://x.com/Team_Harbaughhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Harbaughhttps://www.theatlantic.com/author/ken-harbaugh/https://www.facebook.com/TeamHarbaugh/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-harbaugh-201a7b8/----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:Ken Harbaugh on Ukraine’s Drone Hunters, Western Blind Spots, and the Coming Age of Asymmetric WarFormer US Navy EP-3 signals intelligence aviator Ken Harbaugh discusses his reporting on Ukraine’s “drone hunters” in Kherson, who shoot down hard-to-detect fiber-optic FPV drones used by Russia in a civilian terror campaign and described as a “human safari,” alongside other indiscriminate tactics like butterfly mines. He argues the US and allies are failing to learn battlefield lessons from Ukraine about scalable drone defense, cost asymmetry, and homeland vulnerability to container-launched drone attacks and cyber disruption, while criticizing leadership deficits, entrenched defense procurement incentives, and what he describes as a White House unwilling to hear hard truths about scenarios like Strait of Hormuz closure. The conversation contrasts Russia’s brutality with Ukrainian innovation, including gamified targeting incentives, and warns that the West may only adapt after a major attack. ----------CHAPTERS:00:58 Drone Hunters of Kherson04:03 Human Safari Terror06:31 Hormuz Unpreparedness08:49 Europe Leadership Gap11:50 Lessons From Ukraine14:34 Homeland Drone Threat19:15 Hybrid War and Cyber22:30 Coal and Uranium Wildcard28:00 Allies Push Back32:35 Ukraine Innovation Edge37:30 Military Industrial Drag39:45 Wake Up Call Closing----------THE 'FAITH UNDER SIEGE' TEAM ARE KIND SUPPORTERS OF SILICON CURTAIN: WEBSITE: https://www.faithundersiege.com/TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftGtdC-aO3kFILM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E4gJWdsyAACHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@UCx-2kTPvk4Z505gS2ZEch-A REVIEW: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35428172/----------

2026-03-23 | UPDATES #150 | Ukraine burns Russia’s Baltic oil lifeline. Trump made them do it? Outrageous accusation – how is this connected, you may ask? Lifting sanction on Russia oil at sea, lifting sanctions on third country purchases of Russian – oil by India for instance. Another unintended consequence of Trump’s war on the Middle East – or entirely intended? That a point of contention. But what’s beyond doubt, is that the combination of a spike in oil prices and suspension of sanctions are lifelines for Putin and present an existential threat for Ukraine. They had to act, fast – and acted in the clearest way possible – kinetic sanctions on oil. ----------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: Reuters / Yahoo Finance — "Russia's Baltic ports halt oil and fuel exports after drone attacks, sources say" (March 23, 2026) Bloomberg — "Russia's Primorsk Oil Port Hit by Drones in Overnight Attack" (March 23, 2026)The Moscow Times — "Ukraine Strikes Primorsk Port in Northwestern Russia, Damaging Fuel Reservoirs" (March 23, 2026)Kyiv Post — "Ukraine Hits Giant Baltic Oil Terminal Linked to 'Shadow Fleet' as Drone Barrage Sweeps Russia" (March 23, 2026)RBC-Ukraine — "Drones attack one of Russia's largest oil terminals" (March 23, 2026)EADaily — "The Ukrainian Armed Forces hit the largest Russian oil port of Primorsk on the Baltic" (March 23, 2026)----------

​Roman Trokhymets is a Ukrainian soldier and media personality. In 2014, when pro-Russian separatists attacked Donbas, Trokhymets volunteered to fight in the Azov Regiment. Working as a real estate agent in 2022, he joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. LINKS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Trokhymetshttps://www.instagram.com/romantrokhymets/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/@RomanTrokhymetshttps://www.tiktok.com/@romantrokhymets----------Be in the Army or for the Army! https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/be-in-the-army-or-for-the-armyRick the Ukrainian, Roman Trokhymets, Rick Rollers, and Ukrainian supporters around the world are proud to announce the launch of our new campaign to support the army. This time, we are strengthening the bond between frontline soldiers and volunteers by joining forces to support three combat units with urgently needed vehicles and tires.----------LINKS:YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ricktheukrainianRaising funds for Land Robots for the 3rd Brigade: https://send.monobank.ua/jar/25Q73j7f8xVideo about robots for the 3rd Brigade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATGA4a45mEEMy PayPal (fundraisers donations): rick.karl1842@gmail.comBuy Me a Coffee (or become a member): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ricktheukr/membership----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

2026-03-20 | UPDATES #149 | Today, we were going to ask a basic question. Is Russia helping Iran? The answer is, of course, that they are, but Valdimir Putin seems to have admitted this, and sees it as another way to manipulate Trump, to gain advantage in his war against Ukraine. But the real question is how committed they are, and what is the extent of their support. And digging deeper, what is the impact of that support on helping the Iranian regime to survive, resist the U.S. onslaught – and of course, how far is Russian helping the Iranian regime to target American allies and assets in the region, and ultimately kill Americans. It is March 20th, 2026. American troops are fighting in the Middle East. American servicemembers are dying. And right now, one of America's chief nuclear-armed adversaries is feeding the enemy targeting intelligence to make sure more U.S. assets are erased, its regional allies are terrorised and more Americans die. That adversary is Russia. And the American president's response? He's handing Putin a multi-billion-dollar financial gift – lifting oil sanctions on Russia, and broader sanctions from Putin’s puppet state, Belarus.----------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: Wall Street Journal — "Russia Is Sharing Satellite Imagery and Drone Technology With Iran" (March 17, 2026) Times of Israel — "Russia sharing satellite imagery and drone technology with Iran – report" (March 18, 2026)Reuters / US News — "Russia Is Sharing Satellite Imagery and Drone Technology With Iran, WSJ Reports" (March 17, 2026)Reuters / US News — "Kremlin Says WSJ Report on Russia Sharing Drone Technology With Iran Is 'Fake News'" (March 18, 2026)Washington Post — "Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces" (March 6, 2026)Washington Post — "How Trump suspending sanctions on Russian oil helps Putin's war effort" (March 14, 2026)----------

Anna Danylchuk has been creating a war diary since the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. Anna Danylchuk aims to tell the truth about Ukraine and Russia’s war and cut through the noise and propaganda. Anna is passionate about the beauty and independence of her country, and communicates this powerfully in her videos, in a clear and honest way.----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@UCiVefOT4TGW3pOqW6AxmlBQ ----------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----------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. ----------FAITH UNDER SIEGE FILM: WEBSITE: https://www.faithundersiege.com/TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftGtdC-aO3kFILM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E4gJWdsyAACHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@UCx-2kTPvk4Z505gS2ZEch-A REVIEW: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35428172/----------THE TEAMColby Barrett, JD, PE - PRODUCER, EXEC. PRODUCERColby Barrett is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, and former U.S. Marine Corps Captain who led infantry and scout/sniper platoons in the Pacific Rim and Middle East. Steven E. Moore - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERFormer chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives who has spent most of his time in Ukraine since day five of the war. He leads the Ukraine Freedom Project (UFP), which has delivered 250 tons of food, medical supplies, body armor, and other critical aid to the front.Anna Shvetsova - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERAnna Shvetsova is the COO of the Ukraine Freedom Project. Raised near the Russian border, she frequently visits the front lines and has engaged with over 100 Congressional offices as an expert on U.S. policy in Ukraine.----------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----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Ben Hodges is a retired United States Army officer, who became commander of United States Army Europe in November 2014, and held that position for three years until retiring from the United States Army in January 2018. Until recently he was the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, specialising in NATO, Transatlantic relationship and international security. ----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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. ----------FAITH UNDER SIEGE FILM: WEBSITE: https://www.faithundersiege.com/TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftGtdC-aO3kFILM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E4gJWdsyAACHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@UCx-2kTPvk4Z505gS2ZEch-A REVIEW: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35428172/----------THE TEAMColby Barrett, JD, PE - PRODUCER, EXEC. PRODUCERColby Barrett is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, and former U.S. Marine Corps Captain who led infantry and scout/sniper platoons in the Pacific Rim and Middle East. Steven E. Moore - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERFormer chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives who has spent most of his time in Ukraine since day five of the war. He leads the Ukraine Freedom Project (UFP), which has delivered 250 tons of food, medical supplies, body armor, and other critical aid to the front.Anna Shvetsova - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERAnna Shvetsova is the COO of the Ukraine Freedom Project. Raised near the Russian border, she frequently visits the front lines and has engaged with over 100 Congressional offices as an expert on U.S. policy in Ukraine.----------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----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Welcome to our monthly conversation with Konstantin, who is one of the most respected voices on YouTube about what is happening Inside Russia. Konstantin Samoilov is a well-known YouTuber whose channel ‘Inside Russia’ comments insightfully on Russia’s decent into authoritarianism over the last few years. But now, like many others, he’s outside Russia, with no idea of when he can return there. ----------LINKS: @INSIDERUSSIA https://www.patreon.com/insiderussiaINSIDE RUSSIA is a source of current news on Russia - Konstantin carefully selects 9 news stories that are important and really matter, with commentaries and analyses by Konstantin delivered daily to channel patrons at Patreon.comGet your access to daily news updates at patreon.com/INSIDERUSSIA----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION: Inside Russia: Internet Shutdowns, Elite Purges, and Putin’s Regime in Panic (with Constantine)Jonathan hosts a bimonthly conversation with Konstantine of the YouTube channel “Inside Russia” about accelerating instability inside Russia, including rumors that Putin-regime architect Vladislav Surkov has fled ahead of a possible arrest and what his potential cooperation with Western services could mean. They discuss Russia’s rich and powerful keeping families and assets in the West, the propagandist Solovyov “going rogue” as he criticizes military shortages and communications bans, and how a widening internet and messenger crackdown—especially severe in central Moscow—may relate to purges around Shoigu and fears of elite plotting. Constantine describes severe economic disruption from unreliable internet, business closures, layoffs, and unpaid salaries, likening it to a Titanic-style collapse. They also assess how higher oil prices may briefly ease pressure without saving the regime, and argue Russia is losing allies and geopolitical standing, citing Iran, Syria, and BRICS fading from propaganda.----------CHAPTERS:01:41 Surkov Rumors and Exile06:03 Londongrad and Elite Safe Havens11:04 Solovyov Goes Off Script12:59 Propagandists Smell Change16:35 Shoigu Purge and Internet Link18:34 Moscow Internet Blackout Mystery22:20 Frontline Fallout and Civilian Disruption25:09 Army Comms Breakdown26:03 Internet Shutdown Fallout26:37 Businesses Freeze Up27:53 Daily Life Disrupted28:47 Layoffs And Panic29:36 Titanic Collapse Analogy30:56 Wake Up Call And History32:40 Satire And Denial34:12 Oil Price Windfall41:38 Putin Abandons Allies----------

Silicon Bites Ep303 | 2026-03-16 | Moscow is getting a taste — a tiny taste — of what Ukrainians have lived with for years. May it continue and grow ever more inconvenient for Muscovites. For a second straight day, Russian officials were reporting drones headed for the Russian capital. On Saturday, March 14, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defences had downed 65 drones bound for Moscow over roughly 11 hours. Reuters reported that Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed 280 drones were intercepted across central and western Russia during a 10-hour period, including 47 targeting Moscow. That already made it the biggest drone attack on the Moscow region this year by Russian official count.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Reuters, March 14, 2026 — Russian air defences down 65 drones headed for Moscow, mayor says. AP, March 14, 2026 — Moscow struggles with cellphone internet outages. AP, March 14, 2026 — Russian strike on Kyiv region kills 4 people and wounds 15 as peace talks are stalled (includes Russia’s claim of 87 drones overnight and flight restrictions near Moscow). Kyiv Independent, March 14, 2026 — Moscow attacked by over 60 drones in single day, mayor says. TASS, March 15, 2026 — Drone attack on Moscow becomes largest this year — TASS calculations. Reuters, May 16, 2023 — Kremlin reaction to CIA outreach; includes context that Russia raised the maximum penalty for treason to life.AP, 2024 — A Russian charged with sending video of military equipment to Ukraine gets 14 years in prison. ----------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----------

2026-03-16 | UPDATES #146 | Spectacular explosions in Russia – Ukraine has gone after something bigger than another refinery fire and more consequential than just another spectacular ammo dump explosion on Russian soil. Overnight on March 11–12, 2026, Ukrainian drones struck infrastructure at the Tikhoretsk oil pumping station in Krasnodar Krai — a hub that multiple outlets describe as one of the largest oil logistics nodes in southern Russia. Reuters, citing a source in Ukraine’s SBU, says the strike hit the pumping station and triggered a large fire. Russian regional authorities also acknowledged the attack and said emergency crews were fighting a blaze. ----------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: Reuters, March 12, 2026 — Ukrainian drones hit oil hub in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Kyiv Independent, March 12, 2026 — Major Russian oil hub hit in Ukrainian drone strike in Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says. Ukrinform, March 12, 2026 — SSU strikes one of largest oil hubs in southern Russia in Tikhoretsk, source says. Ukrainska Pravda, March 12, 2026 — Ukraine’s Security Service behind drone attack on oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai – UP sources. Ukrainska Pravda, March 12, 2026 — Oil depot on fire in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai after drone attack – photos, video. Kyiv Post, March 12, 2026 — Ukraine Hits One of Southern Russia’s Largest Oil Transshipment Hubs. UNITED24 Media, March 12, 2026 — Drone Strike Ignites Fire at Key Russian Oil Storage Facility in Krasnodar Region. Reuters, March 2, 2026 — Black Sea’s Novorossiysk port suspended loadings after a major Ukrainian drone attack. Reuters, February 24, 2026 — Transneft cuts pipeline oil intake after drone attack on key pumping station. Reuters, February 24, 2026 — UK targets Russia’s Transneft in new sanctions on Ukraine war anniversary. Reuters, March 12, 2026 — Oil jumps 7% as Iran escalates attacks on Gulf shipping. SPRAVDI / Stratcom Centre on X, March 12, 2026 — social-media reaction referenced in breaking coverage.----------

Stanislav Gryshyn is a Ukrainian defence-tech entrepreneur and combat veteran best known as a co-founder and Director of Strategic Development and Project Management at General Cherry, a frontline-focused Ukrainian drone manufacturer specializing in FPV strike and interceptor systems. He is part of Ukraine’s wartime miltech ecosystem, with General Cherry’s products developed for real combat use by Ukraine’s security and defence forces. Since 2022 he has served with Ukraine’s Centre for Innovation and Development of Defence Technologies under the Ministry of Defence and in the 412th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems, 101st Brigade, and that he was one of the developers of Delta, Ukraine’s situational-awareness, battle-management system.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanislav-gryshyn-2b1582152/4https://www.gencherry.com/enhttps://forumkyiv.org/en/speakers/stanislav-gryshyn----------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----------