NewsPolitics

Silicon Curtain

Jonathan Fink

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/siliconcurtain/subscribe A podcast about propaganda, digital disinformation, politics, corruption, hybrid warfare, weaponised conspiracy theories, social echo chambers and digital dystopias. 1984, Authoritarian, Autocracy, Autocrat, Big Brother, Brainwashing, Cold war, Cold war propaganda, Communism, Conflict, Conspiracy theories, Control, Cults, Cyber warfare, Deception, Dictator, Dictatorship, Digital dystopia, Digital media, Disinformation, Echo chambers, Economic sanctions, Fascist, Fake news, Foreign correspondents, Foreign policy, Fossil fuel sanctions, George Orwell, History, Hybrid warfare, Industrial disinfo

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Tuesday · 23 min
OZON is OVER - The Era of Russia's Marketplaces is Ending in Smoke and Rubble!
Silicon Bites Ep389 | 2026-08-25 | The marketplace economy was Russia's one modern achievement. Ukraine is burning it down. But this is not recreational, for fun (as one British newspaper implied). It is intentional, targeted and strategic. This is wartime infrastructure, as much as it is civilian – with its revenue powering the war economy and its shelves stocking military equipment for the SVO. After Ukrainian units hit the fifteen largest logistics hubs of Wildberries — it is now Ozon's turn. These are the words of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, published on Saturday. Less a threat, more a schedule and statement of intent. Ukraine is no longer conducting individual strikes but executing on a strategic plan with consequences. It finished with the marketplace leader, Wildberries, and it has moved to number two. It is telling the Russian business class, in advance, in public, which door it is coming through next. And on Monday morning, the market answered. Ozon's shares dropped as much as twelve percent on the Moscow Exchange.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:AFP via France 24 — "After Wildberries, Ukraine launches drone campaign on Russia's Ozon," 23 August 2026 — https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260823-after-wildberries-ukraine-launches-drone-campaign-on-russia-s-ozonEuronews — "Ukraine launches drone strikes on Russian e-commerce giant Ozon," 24 August 2026 — https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/24/ukraine-launches-drone-strikes-on-russian-e-commerce-giant-ozonReuters via CNBC — "Ukrainian drones hit warehouse of Russian online retailer Ozon," 22 August 2026 — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/22/ukrainian-drones-hit-warehouse-of-russian-online-retailer-ozon.htmlThe Moscow Times — "Ukrainian Drone Attacks Kill Multiple People Across Russia, Hit Ozon Warehouse," 22 August 2026 — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/22/ukrainian-drone-attacks-kill-multiple-people-across-russia-hit-ozon-warehouse-a93559Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukrainian forces strike Ozon logistics hub in Russia for first time," 22 August 2026 — https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/08/22/8049776/Militarnyi — "Ukraine Struck Ozon Warehouse for the First Time and Attacked an Oil Refinery in Samara Region," 22 August 2026 — https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukraine-struck-ozon-warehouse-for-the-first-time-and-attacked-an-oil-refinery-in-samara-region/Euromaidan Press — "Ukrainian drones hit warehouse belonging to Russian online retailer Ozon for the first time," 22 August 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/08/22/ukraine-drones-ozon-warehouse-first-strike/UNITED24 Media — "Ukrainian Drones Rip Into Ozon Logistics Center and Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery," 22 August 2026 — https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/ukrainian-drones-rip-into-ozon-logistics-center-and-novokuybyshevsk-oil-refinery-21899UAWire — "Ozon warehouse attacked for the first time in Russia after a series of strikes on Wildberries," 22 August 2026 — https://www.uawire.org/ozon-warehouse-attacked-for-the-first-time-in-russia-after-a-series-of-strikes-on-wildberries----------
S5 · E1180
Tuesday · 43 min
1180. Ukraine's Independence has Not Been Easy to Win, and Harder to Retain Since 2014!
Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 4 – The light that remains - just released to coincide with Independence Day here in Ukraine. This is a must watch!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kOTmNxKRnYhttps://www.youtube.com/@KyivOfMinehttps://www.kyivofmine.com/----------“Help DW and the team at Ukraine Story provide portable power banks to mobile air defense and victims of Russian strikes, learn more and donate at https://www.ukrainestory.org/donate Password: DefendKyivKYIV OF MINE is an unfolding story captured over many years: the story of a city of dreams and a people of hope before, during, and after Russia's full-scale invasion.----------⁠It was a brutal winter, and another cold season is already on the horizon. More than four years into the full-scale invasion, the war has left its mark. In this fourth chapter of KYIV OF MINE, we return to the people living through it and to the traumatic ways life, hope and resilience have changed.Chapter 1 – The Ukrainian Dream" • Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 1Chapter 2 – "It'll be over in three days" • Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 2Chapter 3 – "Holding onto the summer" • Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 3The film series is dedicated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.Below are links to some trustworthy organizations in need of funds to continue supporting and caring for the people of Ukraine and saving lives:https://u24.gov.ua/https://savelife.in.ua/en/https://www.hospitallers.org.uk/https://prytulafoundation.org/en/More information: https://www.kyivofmine.com/----------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----------
Monday · 11 min
Russia's Air Defense COLLAPSE - Putin's Palace at RISK - A Strategic Shift in the War!
Silicon Bites Ep387 | 2026-08-20 | Ukraine is stripping the sky away, layer by layer, above Putin's palace. We mean strikes against the layered air defences protecting Putin Palace. The symbolism and psychological impact of destroying the residence, as if it were a Wildberries warehouse would be immense.Last night Russia fired ballistic missiles at Kyiv for eleven hours. At least sixteen people are dead across the capital and the region. Eight of them died in Solomianskyi. The windows of a children's hospital were blown in and cars burned in the grounds. Ukraine intercepted almost none of the ballistics, because Ukraine does not have the interceptors.And roughly nine hundred kilometres south-east, on a cliff above the Black Sea, there is a 17,700-square-metre Italianate palace with a private church, a cinema, an underground bunker complex and an aqua disco — and, as of this month, a hole in the sky above it.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:----------
Monday · 24 min
Something BIG is Happening in the Baltic - NATO Exercise, Deterrence or Operation?
Silicon Bites Ep388 | 2026-08-21 | Something big is happening. NATO filled the Baltic sky this week with aviation assets – what does it mean? These are extraordinary movements of NATO aircraft in the Baltics. Do they constitute exercises, or something more? Deterrence, or moves to counter specific threats from Russia. The debate rages around why Putin may attack or provoke NATO specifically in Europe. Putin's main aims: subjugate Ukraine, destroy the credibility and cohesion of NATO and the EU, and erode the global power and authority of the US. He needs a major provocation to achieve any of these objectives. Of course, he’s counting on us to flinch – but if that doesn’t work, would he go fully ‘kinetic’ and hostile? This episode argues, he already has. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:----------
S5 · E1176
Monday · 28 min
1176. Putin's Regime Must Fall to End the War - But Who will Plunge the Knife in?!
Ilya Ponomarev is a Russian-Ukrainian politician who was a member of the Russian State Duma from 2007 to 2016. After the 2022 Russian invasion, Ponomarev joined Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces, and categorically denounced the invasion. While a member of the Russian State Duma, he was the only deputy not to vote in favour of the Russian gay propaganda law and to vote against Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014. He is now in exile in Ukraine and is a spokesman with insurgent Russian forces (National Republican Army) fighting on the side of Ukraine. ----------LINKS:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Ponomarev https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002113qhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/ilya-ponomarev/BOOKS:Does Putin Have to Die? The Story of How Russia Becomes a Democracy after Losing to Ukraine (Hardcover – 19 Jan. 2023)ARTICLES: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/01/19/ilya-ponomaryov-we-have-to-capture-the-kremlin-there-is-no-other-way-a83772 ----------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----------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----------
S5 · E1170
Monday · 32 min
1170. U.S. Sides with Dictators and Kleptocrats - North Korean Gets HUGE Concessions!
Oleksandra Chorna is a Blogger and Therapist based in New York. She runs platforms including on YouTube focusing on democratic politics, authoritarian slide, and Ukraine's struggle to remain independent in the face of Russian aggression. ----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@UC9WVWN8qNEiy2CofIUW9Zpw https://www.instagram.com/mom_ocracy/https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksandra-chorna-30b9088/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------
S5 · E1179
Monday · 38 min
1179. Putin's PONZI SCHEME Economy Heading for Collapse - It's CRASHING!
Jason Jay Smart is a political adviser who has lived and worked in Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Latin America. Due to his work with the democratic opposition to Vladimir Putin, Smart was made persona non grata for life by Russia in 2010. Jason is a Special Correspondent at the Kyiv Post. It’s the state of US support for Ukraine that we will discuss today.----------LINKS:https://jasonjaysmart.com/ https://www.kyivpost.com/authors/5 https://americanpoliticalservices.com/https://www.facebook.com/jasonjaysmarthttps://twitter.com/officejjsmart ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------
August 20 · 16 min
Russia's Genocide Accelerates with Cultural Destruction - the Nazi's Burned Books too!
Silicon Bites Ep386 | 2026-08-19 | Russia cannot take Ukraine, cannot drive it to defeat. It cannot even achieve the minimal targets set by the Kremlin for a declaration of partial victory – occupation of all the Donbas. So, it is burning Ukraine's books — ten million of them since May 2026 and counting. This is not collateral damage. It is the oldest imperial policy Moscow has, if you cannot conquer, coerce and appropriate, then you erase. This time the cultural erasure is being delivered by ballistic projectiles. Millions of dollars of destructive hardware trained on the erasure of the written word. Burning books, language, identities. The Nazis burned books. Russia does the same. It claims to be fighting fascism but has itself become the instrument and character of fascism in the 21st century. A state built on aggression, illegality, hatred and erasure. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Interfax-Ukraine — Russian shelling damages BookChef, RM publishing offices, warehouses near Pochaina station, 17 Aug 2026 — https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1193829.htmlUkrinform — Publishing house office damaged in Kyiv as a result of nighttime attack (Nash Format), 16 Aug 2026 — https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4154692-publishing-house-office-damaged-in-kyiv-as-a-result-of-nighttime-attack.htmlUNN — Russia's attack on Kyiv damaged the office of the Nash Format publishing house and destroyed the Petrivka book market (incl. Kazanskyi), 16 Aug 2026 — https://unn.ua/en/news/russias-attack-on-kyiv-damaged-the-office-of-the-nash-format-publishing-house-and-destroyed-the-petrivka-book-marketUNN — The office and part of the warehouses of the "Laboratoria" publishing house were damaged during Russia's attack on Kyiv, 16 Aug 2026 — https://unn.ua/en/news/the-office-and-part-of-the-warehouses-of-the-laboratory-publishing-house-were-damaged-during-russias-attack-on-kyivEuromaidan Press — Kyiv's largest book market hit by Russian missiles, 16 Aug 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/08/16/russian-attack-pochaina-book-market/LIGA.net — The book market at Petrivka burned down on August 16 following the shelling of Kyiv (Kryvoruchko; Suspilne footage), 16 Aug 2026 — https://news.liga.net/en/war/news/book-market-at-pochaina-in-kyiv-burned-down-following-russian-attack-photosKyiv Post — Russian Attacks Destroy ArcelorMittal in Kryvyi Rih and Kyiv Book Market, 16 Aug 2026 — https://www.kyivpost.com/post/82456NPR — Ukraine launches one of its largest aerial attacks of the war… (Zelensky quote), 16 Aug 2026 — https://www.npr.org/2026/08/16/nx-s1-5933006/ukraine-aerial-attack-6-dead-russiaFrance 24 — Russian strike on Kyiv book market: 'An attempt to annihilate Ukrainian identity' (Emmanuelle Chaze), 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260817-russian-strike-on-kyiv-book-market-an-attempt-to-annihilate-ukrainian-identity----------
August 19 · 14 min
Ukraine's Most Significant Strike of 2026?! Russia's Starlink Project is Kaputski!?
Silicon Bites Ep385 | 2026-08-18 | The whole architecture of Russian military space power runs through one building, one cleanroom in Samara. This is a central node of the terror state and its illegal war, and Ukraine just hit it. The cleanroom is no longer so clean, and with this strike, Russia’s efforts to develop an alternative to Starlink may have been consigned to the trash bin. Good riddance. At around ten to three in the morning on the fifteenth of August, the missile alert went off across Samara oblast. Nine hundred kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Deep in the Russian interior, in a city that had gone four and a half years of full-scale war without a single strike of this kind on its industrial zone. Minutes later, residents heard a jet engine overhead, then the detonation. By dawn there was a column of black smoke over the eastern edge of the city. Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the target himself that Saturday. The Progress Rocket and Space Centre. A core enterprise of Roscosmos. Struck, in his words on X, with Flamingo missiles — "Flamingo missiles were used. A good achievement."----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Ukrainska Pravda (English) — "OSINT analysts show damage to plant in Russia's Samara where rockets for military satellite launches are equipped," 15 August 2026 Kyiv Post — "Zelensky Confirms Flamingo Missile Strikes in Samara and Savasleyka," 15 August 2026 Militarnyi — "Flamingo Missiles Strike Industrial Facility in Samara," 15 August 2026 Euromaidan Press — "Reported Flamingo strike hits Samara industrial area housing factory that builds rockets for Russia's Starlink rival," 15 August 2026UNITED24 Media — "Ukraine's Flamingo Missiles Strike Russia's Soyuz Rocket Factory Behind Its Starlink Rival," 15 August 2026Defense Express — "Ukraine's Defense Forces… Striking Progress Plant in Samara with FP-5 Flamingo Missiles," 15 August 2026 Defence Blog — "Ukraine strike hits Russia's main space rocket maker," 15 August 2026 Euronews — "Ukraine strikes rocket and space centre in Russia's Samara," 15 August 2026Charter97 — "At the Progress Rocket and Space Center in Samara… workshop may have been damaged," 15 August 2026 EU Today — "Ukrainian Flamingo Missiles Reportedly Hit Russia's Progress Space-Rocket Centre in Samara," 15 August 2026 Türkiye Today — "Ukraine strikes Russia's only Soyuz rocket plant with Flamingo missiles," 15 August 2026 SpacePolicyOnline — "Ukrainian Missiles Strike Russian Soyuz Rocket Factory," 16 August 2026 ----------
August 17 · 17 min
Trump BETRAYS South Korea and Ukraine - No Alliance is Safe with the Mad King!
Silicon Bites Ep384 | 2026-08-17 | Trump hands Kim Jong Un the one concession he has demanded for thirty years — while Kim's shells, Kim's missiles and Kim's soldiers are killing Ukrainians. Sunday evening, Washington. Hours before eighteen thousand South Korean troops were due to begin the largest allied exercise on the Korean peninsula, the President of the United States went on social media and pulled the rug out from under them. He ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce Ulchi Freedom Shield. He gave two reasons. The first was Seoul's refusal to join his war against Iran. The second was his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un.The first is geopolitical blackmail, that has no strategic logic to it. The second is treachery driven by his malignant narcissism – which is rapidly destroying American global influence and power and causing the order that bound the civilised world together since 1945 to unravel. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Stars and Stripes — "Trump calls North Korea 'unthreatening,' orders reduction in South Korea military drills," 16 Aug 2026 — https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-08-16/trump-kim-jong-un-korea-military-exercises-22573400.htmlNPR — "Trump orders Pentagon to scale back joint exercises with South Korea," 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.npr.org/2026/08/17/g-s1-138969/trump-exercises-south-koreaNBC News — "Trump orders military to 'substantially reduce' joint exercises with South Korea," 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-orders-military-substantially-reduce-joint-exercises-south-korea-rcna592832CBS News — "Trump orders scale-back of military exercises with South Korea," 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-scale-back-south-korea-military-exercises/Military.com — "Trump Orders Hegseth to 'Substantially Reduce' South Korea Military Drills," 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.military.com/trump-orders-hegseth-substantially-reduce-south-korea-military-drillsAFP via Yahoo News — "Bipartisan backlash as Trump scales back US-South Korea drills" (Tillis, Reed), 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/bipartisan-backlash-trump-scales-back-155016102.htmlMS NOW via AOL — "After Trump gave North Korea what it wants, a key senator accuses him of 'appeasement,'" 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-gave-north-korea-wants-184352000.htmlThe Hill — "Reed criticizes Trump's North Korea praise as 'delusional,'" 17 Aug 2026 — https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6033746-reed-criticizes-trump-north-korea/Al Jazeera — "Democrats rebuke Trump over scaling back military drills with South Korea," 17 Aug 2026 — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/17/democrats-rebuke-trump-over-scaling-back-military-drills-with-south-koreaTIME — "Trump's South Korea Shift Tests a Key U.S. Alliance" (Col. Ryan Donald), 17 Aug 2026 — https://time.com/article/2026/08/17/trump-south-korea-joint-drills-kim-north-nuclear-iran-analysis/----------
August 17 · 18 min
Wildberries is Over - Ukraine has Eliminated the Marketplace Economy of Russia!
Silicon Bites Ep383 | 2026-08-17 | Koledino is gone, Russia's consumer economy is being dismantled warehouse by warehouse. This is not a stalemate, but a systematic elimination of the modern economy that has lulled Muscovites into thinking the war is far away and does not affect them. That illusion has been demolished. At half past eight on Saturday evening, the drones started coming. They were still coming at half past six on Sunday morning. Ten hours. Six hundred of them, by Sobyanin's own count, headed for the Moscow region. Two hundred and one shot down over the oblast – is the claim. Eight hundred and twenty-two claimed downed nationwide by the Russian Defence Ministry — a number Moscow publishes to sound strong, but which reveal the incredible mass of offensive drones that were in the air. This is a modern-day Blitz but conducted with pinpoint accuracy and aligned with clear strategic objectives. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:The Moscow Times / Reuters — "Ukrainian Drones Strike Moscow Region, Killing One," 16 Aug 2026 — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/16/ukrainian-drones-strike-moscow-region-killing-one-a93506RFE/RL — "Massive Overnight Ukrainian Drone Strikes Target Moscow Region," 16 Aug 2026 — https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-moscow-wildberries-facilities-drones/33831405.htmlKyiv Independent — "Ukrainian forces target Moscow Oblast, damaging Wildberries warehouse in major attack," 16 Aug 2026 — https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-forces-target-moscow-oblast-damaging-wildberries-warehouse-in-major-attack/Liga.net — "Hundreds of drones headed for Moscow; largest Wildberries warehouse and Domodedovo on fire," 16 Aug 2026 — https://news.liga.net/en/war/news/hundreds-of-drones-headed-for-moscow-largest-wildberries-warehouse-and-domodedovo-on-fire-photos-videoFrance 24 (live/AFP/AP/Reuters) — "Moscow targeted by 600 drones overnight, explosions heard in Kyiv," 16 Aug 2026 — https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260816-live-moscow-targeted-by-600-drones-overnight-explosions-heard-in-kyivEA WorldView — "Ukraine War, Day 1,635: Kyiv Strikes More Wildberries Warehouses in Russia," 16 Aug 2026 — https://eaworldview.com/2026/08/ukraine-war-wildberries-kyiv-strikes-warehouses/UNITED24 Media — "Russian E-Commerce Giants Beg Kremlin for Bailout After Devastating Drone Strikes," 14 Aug 2026 — https://united24media.com/world/russian-e-commerce-giants-beg-kremlin-for-bailout-after-devastating-drone-strikes-21695Meduza — "Wildberries and sellers' combined losses… estimated at hundreds of billions of rubles," 13 Aug 2026 — https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/08/13/wildberries-and-sellers-combined-losses-from-ukrainian-drone-attacks-estimated-at-hundreds-of-billions-of-rublesThe Moscow Times — "Ad Spending on Wildberries Nosedives After Ukrainian Drone Attacks, Kommersant Reports," 12 Aug 2026 — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/12/ad-spending-on-wildberries-nosedives-after-ukrainian-drone-attacks-kommersant-reports-a93472Byline Times — "How Ukraine Is Now Targeting the Russian Economy," 12 Aug 2026 — https://bylinetimes.com/2026/08/12/how-ukraine-is-now-targeting-the-russian-economy/----------
S5 · E1171
August 17 · 38 min
1171. We ARE at War with Russia ALREADY - A Full-Scale Hybrid Attack May be Imminent!?
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. ----------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:Ben Hodges: Russia Is Already at War With Europe | Leipzig Drone Attack, NATO Readiness & Interceptor CrisisJonathan interviews retired US Lieutenant General Ben Hodges about Russia’s escalating sabotage campaign in Europe, arguing the West is already under attack and citing the failed explosive drone incident in Leipzig near an Antonov reportedly loaded with ammunition for Ukraine alongside Lavrov’s statements about destroying support for Ukraine. They discuss confusion and reluctance among European leaders to attribute attacks to Russia and the need for consequences, better airspace protection, and using technology and intelligence to trace drone launch networks. The conversation also covers Trump’s remarks about Kim Jong Un and implications for South Korea, growing doubts about US reliability for Europe and Taiwan, overstretched US naval forces, China’s opportunism, and the shortage of interceptors and munitions. They conclude that political will and industrial prioritization are central as Ukraine faces a difficult winter.----------CHAPTERS: 00:00 Russia At War With Us00:25 Meet Ben Hodges01:52 Trump And South Korea04:03 North Korea In Europe05:37 Europe Must Defend Itself08:22 Leipzig Drone Wakeup11:36 Hybrid War Reality16:05 Lavrov Threats And NATO17:47 Hunting Drone Launchers19:29 Ukraine Interceptors Crisis23:12 Taiwan And China Signals27:08 Drone Age Training Lessons34:09 Missiles Versus Interceptors----------
S5 · E1167
August 16 · 48 min
1167. Russia is Learning to HACK AI with Weaponized Lies and Manipulated Information!
Andriy Kusyy is a Ukrainian machine-learning specialist and the CEO/co-founder of LetsData, a company built around detecting coordinated information operations. Before founding LetsData with Ksenia Iliuk in 2022, he led a machine-learning platform team at Grammarly. His perspective is therefore somewhat different from that of a traditional disinformation researcher: he approaches propaganda as an adversarial system that can be detected through data, networks, timing and anomalous behaviour, rather than primarily through fact-checking individual claims.----------LetsData gives organizations an earlier detection point for emerging threats. Its narrative intelligence platform, Vantage, identifies the behavioral signals behind narrative threats — impersonation, synthetic amplification, manufactured narratives — before they produce the infrastructure, IOCs, and downstream damage that conventional tools are built to find.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andriy-kusyy/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksenia-iliuk/https://letsdata.net/https://datainnovation.org/2025/10/5-qs-with-ksenia-iluik-co-founder-of-letsdata/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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----------
August 16 · 16 min
Fear STALKS Putin - He Sees Plots Everywhere - Putin Paranoid, Fearful and Isolated!
Silicon Bites Ep382 | 2026-08-15 | Putin has multiple fears now. Known knowns – Ukrainian drones. Known unknowns – Foreign intelligence services. Unknown unknowns – internal rivals and opponents within the system. The drones are the fear he can name. But the others also feed his rampant paranoia. On 22 December 2025, a car bomb in a Moscow car park killed Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the General Staff's Operational Training Directorate. Three days later Putin convened the heads of the security services. According to a European intelligence dossier obtained by CNN, the Financial Times and iStories in May, that meeting degenerated into a brawl. Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov attacked FSB director Bortnikov for failing to protect senior officers. Bortnikov pleaded shortage of resources and manpower. Putin ended it by demanding concrete solutions within a week.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Novaya Gazeta Europe — Novosibirsk residents told to stay indoors and away from windows, 11 August 2026Novaya Gazeta Europe — Eyewitness accounts of the Novosibirsk visit, road resurfacing and traffic closures, 11 August 20267x7 Horizontal Russia — Security services barred students and residents from windows, dormitory checks, 11 August 2026Agentstvo — Putin has stopped travelling around Russia; record isolation, 21 May 2026The Moscow Times (Russian service) — Putin halts public regional travel due to Ukrainian strikes, 21 May 2026Novaya Gazeta Europe / Agentstvo — Putin avoiding European-Russia regions regularly hit by drones, 8 August 2026The Moscow Times / AFP — Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril Islands amid Japanese protests, 13 August 2026NPR / AP — Putin's first Kuril visit draws Tokyo protest; Pacific Fleet drills, 13 August 2026Al Jazeera — Japan protests as Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands, 13 August 2026Ukrainska Pravda / Radio Svoboda — Seven new Pantsir towers at Valdai, total 27, 12 April 2026Meduza — 27 air-defence positions around Putin's Valdai residence; 26 Pantsir plus S-400, 13 April 2026Militarnyi — Russia builds seven new Pantsir towers around Putin's residence, 12 April 2026----------
August 15 · 11 min
Putin TERRIFIED for his LIFE - Dictator Sees Plots and Threats Everywhere!
Silicon Bites Ep381 | 2026-08-15 | The whole apparatus of a nuclear-armed state, bent to one purpose: keeping a frightened 73-year-old man alive and in power. On the morning of 11 August, residents of apartment blocks along one road in Novosibirsk received a notice from their management company. It cited instructions from the security organs. Do not go outside. Do not approach your windows. Do not use electronic or optical devices.Students at Novosibirsk State University got their own version. Draw the curtains. Stay away from the glass. In Dormitory Four, a room-by-room inspection, and every resident required to register with the warden by eight in the morning. The canteen closed. The swimming pool closed. Electric scooter rentals switched off across most of Akademgorodok. Metal barriers of the kind normally used to pen in protesters erected around the new university buildings. Police posted along the motorcade route every fifty metres from eight o'clock the previous evening. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Novaya Gazeta Europe — Novosibirsk residents told to stay indoors and away from windows, 11 August 2026Novaya Gazeta Europe — Eyewitness accounts of the Novosibirsk visit, road resurfacing and traffic closures, 11 August 20267x7 Horizontal Russia — Security services barred students and residents from windows, dormitory checks, 11 August 2026Agentstvo — Putin has stopped travelling around Russia; record isolation, 21 May 2026The Moscow Times (Russian service) — Putin halts public regional travel due to Ukrainian strikes, 21 May 2026Novaya Gazeta Europe / Agentstvo — Putin avoiding European-Russia regions regularly hit by drones, 8 August 2026The Moscow Times / AFP — Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril Islands amid Japanese protests, 13 August 2026NPR / AP — Putin's first Kuril visit draws Tokyo protest; Pacific Fleet drills, 13 August 2026Al Jazeera — Japan protests as Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands, 13 August 2026Ukrainska Pravda / Radio Svoboda — Seven new Pantsir towers at Valdai, total 27, 12 April 2026Meduza — 27 air-defence positions around Putin's Valdai residence; 26 Pantsir plus S-400, 13 April 2026Militarnyi — Russia builds seven new Pantsir towers around Putin's residence, 12 April 2026----------
S5 · E1169
August 15 · 58 min
1169. The Power BEHIND Putin - And Why the Ruling Clan Now Depend on Endless War!
Dr Yuri Felshtinsky is a prominent author, historian, and journalist, and expert on Russia and the former Soviet Union. He has appeared in hundreds of print, TV, and radio interviews worldwide, and is widely known as co-author of the book “Blowing Up Russia” with Alexander Litvinenko, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the FSB who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London in 2006. His latest book – “Blowing up Ukraine: The Return of Russian Terror and The Threat of World War III”, was researched before the invasion of Ukraine, and is the first comprehensive investigation into the lethal methods Russia has used since 1999 to take over Ukraine – culminating in the full-blown unprovoked war in 2022 and mounting atrocities.----------BOOKS:From Red Terror to Terrorist State: Russia’s Secret Intelligence Services and Their Fight for World Domination from Felix Dzerzhinsky to Vladimir Putin Hardcover – 4 Nov. 2023by Yuri Felshtinsky (Author), Vladimir Popov (Author)Publisher: Gibson House ----------LINKS: https://twitter.com/yfelshtinskyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yuri-felshtinsky-55497940/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Felshtinskyhttps://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/yuri-felshtinsky/----------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----------
S5 · E1161
August 14 · 52 min
1161. Russian Peace is NOT Peace - But War By Other Means with Provocation & Threat!?
Simon Smith is Chair of the Ukraine Forum Steering Committee at Chatham House. He served as British Ambassador to Ukraine (2012–2015) during the Euromaidan Revolution, Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the outbreak of the Donbas war. Before Kyiv, he was Director for Russia, South Caucasus and Central Asia at the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (2005–2007), giving him extensive experience in British policy toward Russia and the post-Soviet region. Smith is regarded as one of the UK's most experienced diplomats on Eastern Europe. ----------John Lough is an Associate Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House (since 2009) and Head of Foreign Policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, a London- and Washington-based think tank. He began his career at the Soviet Studies (later Conflict Studies) Research Centre, specialising in Soviet and Russian security policy. John has had a long career spanning government, diplomacy, business and academia. He previously served as the first NATO representative based in Moscow following the end of the Cold War, where he worked on NATO–Russia relations during a formative period. ----------LINKS:https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/05/how-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-could-imperil-ukrainian-and-european-securityhttps://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/orysia-lutsevychhttps://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/keir-gileshttps://icds.ee/en/the-russian-way-of-ceasefires-and-the-traps-it-sets-for-europe/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:Why a Ceasefire Isn’t Peace: Russia’s War Aims, Negotiation Traps, and Western Complacency | Simon Smith & John LoughThe host interviews Chatham House’s Simon Smith and John Lough about why a ceasefire in Ukraine would not equal peace, citing the Korean Armistice as a warning that unresolved issues can harden into decades of confrontation. They argue Putin’s objectives—subjugating Ukraine, blocking its integration with Western or European security structures, enforcing demilitarization and political change in Kyiv—have not changed, making any pause potentially a chance for Russia to regroup. The discussion covers Ukraine’s strikes inside Russia, economic and recruitment pressures on Moscow, and risks of escalation against Ukrainian infrastructure. They stress Western political complacency, incremental support, and the danger that electorates may find a Russian victory “palatable,” arguing enforcement matters more than signatures in any talks. John Lough outlines likely Russian minimum demands, including full control of Donbas and removing Zelensky.----------
August 14 · 17 min
"Destroy NATO!" Putin's Secret Order Reveals Russia's REAL AIMS of the War!
Silicon Bites Ep380 | 2026-08-14 | In December 2025, Vladimir Putin stood in front of Russia's military command and complained that European leaders were "stoking up hysteria" about the Russian threat. That was the public performance, reported from the Russian record by RBC-Ukraine. Is this just a clear-cut case of projection, or is there something more to this performative, fake outrage?Misunderstood Moscow. Warmongering Europeans. This narrative turns the world on its head. Not unusual for Russian geopolitical games though. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:The New York Times, 14 Aug 2026 — https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/world/europe/russia-moldova-putin.htmlThe New Voice of Ukraine — https://english.nv.ua/nation/putin-ordered-russia-to-undermine-nato-and-eu-from-within-in-2026-nyt-reports-50632708.htmlKyiv Post, 14 Aug 2026 — https://www.kyivpost.com/post/82357UNN, 14 Aug 2026 — https://unn.ua/en/news/putin-wants-to-destroy-nato-and-the-eu-from-within-he-has-assigned-moldova-a-key-role-nytRBC-Ukraine, 14 Aug 2026 — https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/putin-gives-russian-military-objective-for-1786713992.htmlCharter97, 14 Aug 2026 — https://charter97.org/en/news/2026/8/14/694762UA.NEWS (Peskov denial), 14 Aug 2026 — https://ua.news/en/world/u-kremli-bachat-moldovu-platsdarmom-dlia-novoyi-agresiyi-nytAround Prague (GRU camps, payments), 14 Aug 2026 — https://aroundprague.cz/en/news/putin-s-2026-target-undermining-nato-and-the-eu-from-within-through-moldovaKyiv Independent (Tusk), 13 Aug 2026 — https://kyivindependent.com/poland-arrests-russian-man-for-alleged-assassination-plot-against-us-ukrainian-national-pm-tusk-says/NBC News / Reuters, 13 Aug 2026 — https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/poland-thwarted-russian-plot-kill-american-citizen-warsaw-rcna592337CNN, 14 Aug 2026 — https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/14/europe/poland-russian-plot-american-intlThe Washington Post, 14 Aug 2026 — https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/08/14/poland-says-it-thwarted-russian-assassination-attempt-us-citizen-warsaw/----------
S5 · E1165
August 14 · 53 min
1165. They Tried to SILENCE Konstantin - Threats and Risk to Critic of Putin's Russia!
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:Konstantin Samoilov on Being Targeted, Russia’s Rising Repression, and the Power Struggle Behind PutinJonathan speaks with exiled Russian YouTuber Konstantin Samoilov, who describes escalating intimidation he attributes to Russian security services after he became more prominent for opposing the war and Putin’s regime. Samoilov recounts being hospitalized with worsening stomach pain, receiving a call from Moscow urging him to cooperate and come to Russia, and later being followed; he says the campaign has made him fear for his family’s safety and stop showing them publicly. The discussion broadens to intensified repression in Russia, comparisons to pre-war “clearing the decks” and 1930s-style terror dynamics, and a sharpening struggle between siloviki and other elite clans. Samoilov argues Putin is increasingly a figurehead fed curated information, amid economic strain, fuel crises, arrests, and instability, with possible outcomes ranging from internal conflict to a frozen war and deeper Chinese leverage over Russia.----------CHAPTERS:02:49 Exile And Rising Profile05:00 Hospital Call From Moscow07:41 Support And Gratitude09:22 Mobilization And Crackdown11:39 Russia At A Crossroads16:32 Volcano Signs And Oligarchs19:21 Two Clans Power Struggle24:38 Putin Visits Fuel Crisis27:48 Putin In The Dark28:53 Puppet And Puppeteers30:47 1930s Terror Parallels33:33 Stalin Rotated Secret Police35:22 Khrushchev Checks And Balances37:18 Two Paths To Collapse38:01 Private Armies And Civil War39:30 Siloviki Shadow Takeover42:37 Economic Strain And Drone Siege43:51 World War Three Fears45:53 China Bleeding Strategy51:19 Putin Near The End----------
S5 · E1168
August 14 · 51 min
1168. This Caused CONTROVERSY - Russia's Opposition Has NO Strategy to END the War!
Nigel Gould-Davies is a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. Between 2010 and 2013 he held senior government relations roles in the international energy industry. Previously he has also served in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where his roles included head of the Economic Section in Moscow, ambassador to Belarus, and project director in the Policy Planning Unit. He is author of Tectonic Politics: Global Political Risk in an Age of Transformation (Brookings, 2019).----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/Nigelgd1https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-gould-davies-5347b51a?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.iiss.org/people/russia-and-eurasia/dr-nigel-gould-davies/https://gsas.harvard.edu/person/nigel-gould-daviesBOOKS:Tectonic Politics: Global Political Risk in an Age of Transformation (2019)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tectonic-Politics-Insights-Critical-International/dp/0815737130https://www.chathamhouse.org/2019/05/tectonic-politics-global-political-risk-age-transformationARTICLES:https://spectator.com/article/does-russias-exiled-opposition-want-whats-best-for-europe/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/11/soviet-dissidents-understood-what-russias-exiled-opposition-has-forgotten-a93458https://www.iiss.org/research-paper/2026/05/the-coming-crisis-in-russias-political-economy/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00396338.2024.2332057https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/09/biden-putin-ukraine-appeasement-deterrence-donbass/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

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