Silicon Curtain

Epizodes

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  1118. Putin Brings Russia to BREAKING POINT as he Requisitions ALL Resources for WAR! 04.10.2026 38min

  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----------
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  Russia STEALS Foreign Assets in THEFT BINGE to Prolong his Senseless Criminal War! 04.10.2026 13min

  Silicon Bites SW26-224 | 2026-10-02 | Putin seizes Nestlé, Auchan and Leroy Merlin assets. One part of me wants to cheer, as this is predictable and inevitable punishment for those companies that thought they could remain in Russia and profit from death. On the other hand, it marks a new low in Russia’s slide away from a market economy and towards criminal, kleptocratic authoritarianism. ----------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) — "Putin seizes Russian assets of Auchan, Nestlé and Leroy Merlin", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/09/18/8053993/The Moscow Times / Reuters — "Kremlin Seizes Nestlé and Auchan Assets in Latest Business Crackdown", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/18/kremlin-seizes-nestle-and-auchan-assets-in-latest-business-crackdown-a93745Bloomberg via SWI swissinfo.ch — "Russia Ties Nestle, Auchan Asset Grabs to Europe Aid for Ukraine", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/russia-ties-nestle%2c-auchan-asset-grabs-to-europe-aid-for-ukraine/92078072AFP via France 24 — "Russia seizes assets of Swiss food giant Nestle and three French firms", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260918-russia-seizes-assets-of-swiss-food-giant-nestle-and-three-french-firmsEuromaidan Press — "'A warning to companies that remain': Russia takes control of Nestlé and Auchan's assets", 18 Sept 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/09/18/russia-takes-control-of-nestle-and-auchan-assets/AP via The Washington Times — "Kremlin orders businesses seized", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/18/kremlin-orders-businesses-seized/CNN — "Kremlin seizes Nestlé's assets in Russia as crackdown on private business grows", 18 Sept 2026 — https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/18/business/kremlin-seizes-nestle-assets-russia-intlCharter97 — "Putin Signed A Decree Ordering The Confiscation Of Auchan And Nestlé's Assets In Russia", 18 Sept 2026 — https://charter97.org/en/news/2026/9/18/698850UA News — "The Kremlin explained the transfer of Auchan and Nestlé's assets to external management", 18 Sept 2026 — https://ua.news/en/world/kreml-poiasniv-peredachu-aktiviv-auchan-i-nestle-pid-zovnishnie-upravlinniaEuronews — "Risky to stay, costly to leave: French companies active in Russia face dilemma", 4 Nov 2025 (background: Leroy Merlin / Auchan revenue and tax rankings) — https://euronews.com/2025/11/04/risky-to-stay-costly-to-leave-french-companies-active-in-russia-face-dilemmaEuronews — "German companies pay Russia €17.2bn in taxes…" (KSE / B4Ukraine / Squeezing Putin data; Nezir Sinani), 1 Nov 2025 — https://www.euronews.com/2025/11/01/german-companies-pay-russia-172-billion-in-taxes-raising-concerns-of-funding-its-war-in-ukB4Ukraine — "How global firms bankrolled Russia's war chest in 2024" — https://b4ukraine.org/whats-new/how-global-firms-bankrolled-russias-war-chest-in-2024----------
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  Putin's CURSE: Mad Tsar Returns Russia to Horrors of 16th Century of Ivan the Terrible! 04.10.2026 16min

  Silicon Bites Ep411 | 2026-10-04 | Holy bones cannot save Putin – his curse is upon Russia. And now in a development of profound absurdity, those same saint’s bones from the 14th century, dug up and sent to the front, to save Mother Russia from the misfortune it brought upon itself have been lost. Abandoned at the front as Russian troops chaotically fled from Ukrainian advances. This episode is about the absurdity of Russia, it’s miserable retreat from modernity, and decent into tyranny and absurdity. There is cruel humour in this, but also we cannot forget the tragedies that unfold daily, as Putin intensifies his genocidal imperial assault upon Ukraine. ----------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 — "Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies From Plague" (2 Oct 2026)Meduza — "Hospital in Russia's Irkutsk region quarantined amid reports that a patient died of pneumonic plague" (2 Oct 2026)Nasha Niva — "In Irkutsk Oblast, a scientific institute lab assistant died of plague" (citing Lyudi Baikala, Oct 2026)UNITED24 Media — "Russia Hides Potential Pneumonic Plague Outbreak After Fatal Lab Breach" (3 Oct 2026)Ukrainian News Agency — "In russia, lab technician at institute broke test tube containing dangerous infection…" (2 Oct 2026)Reuters via KFGO — "Russia draws up measures to control bear population after spate of deadly attacks" (30 Sep 2026)CNN via ABC17 — "Deadly bear attacks are rattling Russian Siberia. Why now?" (2 Oct 2026)US News (Reuters) — "Seventh Person Killed by Bear in Russian Region in a Month as Spate of Attacks Grows" (25 Sep 2026)Meduza — "Russia has a bear problem — attacks are reported almost daily" (11 Sep 2026)The Moscow Times — "Russian Orthodox Church Denies That Troops Lost Medieval Warrior Prince's Relics in Ukraine" (1 Oct 2026)UAWire — "Russian troops reportedly lose Dmitry Donskoy relics during retreat near Lyman"UkrMedia — "The Russian Orthodox Church has denied reports that Donskoy's relics have been lost" (Oct 2026)CNN — "Why Russia is sending dead princes and saints into battle" (26 Sep 2026)Meduza — "Russian officials are calling the discovery of a medieval prince's relics a miracle…" (4 Sep 2026)UATV / Center for Countering Disinformation — "ROC Transporting Part Of Prince Dmitry Donskoy's Relics To Front…" (Sep 2026)----------
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  Winter of Death? Trump’s MALIGN Role in Ukraine’s Critical Hour! 03.10.2026 20min

  Silicon Bites Ep410 | 2026-10-03 | Trump is doing everything to help Putin win his war, before summer of next year. Does he have a sense that Russia will struggle to mount new offensive operations beyond that point? Or do his hubris and delusion suggest to him that Ukrainians will capitulate after a cold winter of being battered daily? He could not be more wrong – every strike, every atrocity only serves to remind Ukrainians, that there is no worse fate, than to be occupied by Russia. This winter period is crucial – Putin thinks he can win, and Trump is creating the space and context for this to happen. We need to be truthful and clear-eyed. This is no more nor less than being complicit in the horrific genocidal slaughter of Ukrainians, ahead of winter. Russia is preparing the ground for a genocidal act – the attempt to make Ukrainian cities unliveable. Trump’s decisions, policies and rhetoric have produced identifiable advantages for Moscow and imposed greater immediate costs on Ukraine and U.S. allies than on Russia, since 2025.----------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:Simon Shuster / The Atlantic via Meduza English — "The Atlantic: Trump backs plan to ease Russia sanctions in exchange for political prisoners without waiting for the Ukraine war to end" (29 September 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "'Magic of business' instead of pressure: Trump backs plan to ease sanctions on Russia" (29 September 2026) UNN English — "Trump agreed to ease sanctions against the Russian Federation in exchange for political prisoners - The Atlantic" (29-30 September 2026)Kyiv Post via Politico — "Trump Leaves Key US Allies Out of NATO Group Meeting" (1 October 2026)Institute for the Study of War / Critical Threats — Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, 27 September 2026 UNITED24 Media — "Putin Wants Ukraine to Capitulate by Spring 2027 Through Intensified Strikes, ISW Says" (28-29 September 2026) Reuters via NYT reporting — "US-Russia talks on Ukraine involve multi-billion-dollar oil deal - NYT reports" (3 October 2026)Reuters via Malay Mail — "Teachers, dissidents and a Nobel laureate — the 123 prisoners freed in Belarus-US sanctions deal" (14 December 2025) AP via Yahoo — "Belarus frees 52 political prisoners as US lifts some sanctions on its national airline" (September 2025)AP via Yahoo — "Belarus releases 250 political prisoners in a deal with the US to lift some sanctions" (March 2026) Reuters — "Trump administration disbands task force targeting Russian oligarchs" (6 February 2025)Reuters — "US defense chief Hegseth says return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders not realistic" (12 February 2025) ----------
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  'Club of the Obedient' and Weak: Trump's Secret Strategy to Break the NATO Alliance! 01.10.2026 19min

  Silicon Bites Ep409 | 2026-10-01 | Trump wants compliant allies – supine, dependent, insecure – and possibly divided. Now his animosities and resentments, intrigues and plotting may finally be tearing NATO apart. In this episode: the Pentagon's club of the obedient: why Eldridge Colby's formation of a NATO inner circle heralds the death of the alliance by other means, and why Europe must refuse to play this self-destructive game. Putin is getting all his Christmas presents early, courtesy of Trump. ----------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:Politico, "Trump administration leaves key allies out of NATO meeting," 30 September 2026 (original report; paywalled/blocked at time of drafting, content verified via secondary outlets below): https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/30/trump-nato-allies-left-out-01100310Kyiv Post, "Trump Leaves Key US Allies Out of NATO Group Meeting," 1 October 2026: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85825Babel, "Politico: Pentagon blocks key allies from NATO meeting," 1 October 2026: https://babel.ua/en/amp/news/130614-politico-pentagon-blocks-key-allies-from-nato-meetingTürkiye Today, "Pentagon leaves UK, France and Baltics out of NATO meeting in Poland: Report," 1 October 2026: https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/pentagon-leaves-uk-france-and-baltics-out-of-nato-meeting-in-poland-report-3229362SFG Media, "Pentagon Did Not Invite Britain, France and the Baltic States to Discuss NATO's Future," 1 October 2026: https://sfg.media/en/a/pentagon-excludes-allies-nato-future-talks/Euronews, "US troop drawdown in Romania signals wider US pivot away from Europe," 3 November 2025: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/11/03/us-troop-drawdown-in-romania-signals-wider-us-pivot-away-from-europeReuters via AOL, "Hegseth expected to follow Rubio in skipping NATO ministers' meeting," January 2026: https://www.aol.com/articles/hegseth-expected-skip-nato-ministers-154236573.htmlPolskie Radio, "US defense secretary expected to skip NATO meeting next month," 29 January 2026: https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/3640935,us-defense-secretary-expected-to-skip-nato-meeting-next-monthReuters via AOL, "Pentagon policy chief calls for NATO based on 'partnership rather than dependency'," 12 February 2026: https://www.aol.com/articles/nato-more-based-partnership-instead-082732347.htmlAl Jazeera, "US considers suspending Spain from NATO, reported internal email suggests," 24 April 2026: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/24/us-weighs-retaliation-against-nato-allies-over-iran-war-divisions-reutersForeign Policy, World Brief on Pentagon email (Spain/Falklands), 24 April 2026: https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/24/us-pentagon-email-nato-spain-uk-falkland-islands-iranAaj English TV (Reuters wire), "Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from NATO, other steps over Iran rift," April 2026: https://english.aaj.tv/news/amp/330457382----------
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  1119. The War is HERE - And Without a Theory of Victory NATO Countries are Vulnerable! 01.10.2026 32min

  Lt. Gen. (retired) Ben Hodges is the former Commanding General of United States Army Europe, a post he held from 2014 to 2017 during the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine and NATO's subsequent reinforcement of its eastern flank. A 1980 West Point graduate and infantry officer, he commanded at company, battalion and brigade level, including the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He later served as Commander of NATO Allied Land Command in İzmir.Since retirement, Hodges has become a prominent analyst of European security, NATO logistics, Russia and Ukraine. He serves as a NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics, is associated with GLOBSEC's Future of Security and Defence Council, previously held CEPA's Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, and co-authored Future War and the Defence of Europe. ----------LINKS:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hodgeshttps://x.com/general_ben?lang=enhttps://www.globsec.org/who-we-are/our-people/lieutenant-general-retired-ben-hodgeshttps://www.rusi.org/people/hodges-0https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/ben-hodges----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------DESCRIPTION:Ben Hodges on Western Will, Russia’s Escalation, and a Path to Ukrainian VictoryJonathan interviews retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges about what they describe as a “sub-admission” war in which the West fails to openly acknowledge Russia is at war with it, undermining political will, policy coherence, and a defined end state. They discuss Russia’s rising risk-taking, including the Leipzig airport explosives drone incident and an underwhelming German response, arguing Moscow fills the space created by Western inaction and is rarely made to pay meaningful, unanticipated costs (including over frozen Russian assets). Hodges criticizes U.S. leadership under President Trump and urges Europe to “defeat Russia first” by enabling Ukraine to expel Russian forces, which would also signal resolve to China and isolate Iran. They contrast Ukraine’s infrastructure-strike exhaustion strategy with Russia’s strategy of erasure, warn about an accelerating drone arms race, and note civilians’ constrained options under intensified strikes. Hodges argues strategic bombing is not decisive, highlights Ukraine’s growing capacity to damage Russia’s oil and gas revenue and to conduct integrated combined-arms operations, and closes by stressing war as a test of will.----------EPISODES:00:00 War Is a Test of Will01:08 Naming the Conflict03:10 Russia Fills the Space05:19 Seizing the Initiative07:21 Why the West Hasn’t Mobilized09:26 Leadership and Defeat Russia First12:24 Theories of Victory16:17 Europe’s Crocodile Strategy19:32 Drone Arms Race Reality21:35 Life Under Airstrikes25:19 Why Strategic Bombing Won’t Win27:36 Combined Arms Hope29:34 Final Warning on Will30:25 Support the Channel----------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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  Russia's Terror WILL Come to Your Cities and Homes If Putin is Not Forcibly Stopped! 01.10.2026 17min

  Silicon Bites Ep408 | 2026-09-30 | This terror will come to you. And not in the sneaky hybrid way, that happens just out of the corner of your eye. Out of sight and sound, with no direct impact on your lives, so you can forget and move on with your cosy lives. You have been warned. Such murder and mayhem are coming to your – to your factories, your businesses, your homes and your special places. You may not be interested in Russia, and may mean it no harm or ill thoughts, but believe me, Russia is not just interested in you, but may want to kill you, if it does not get its way. In this episode, the double terror that shows us what Russia has become – the Hamas of the snow, the ISIS of the Siberian steppe, a persistent threat to our safety, security and sovereignty. Russia murders scientists at their desks in broad daylight, and an unnamed "foreign actor" attempts a terror act on an English airbase. Europe is appalled. But being appalled is not a defence policy. Waves of terror and horror are radiating out from the terror fortress in Moscow, the Kremlin, point zero in a global terrorist alliance challenging the prominence of the West. This is a zero-sum game, and yet we are acting like the threat is only peripheral. ----------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 Guardian via AOL — "Staff killed and wounded in Russian strike on Kyiv's science academy" (28 Sep 2026): https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/staff-killed-wounded-russian-strike-151650000.htmlReuters via The Japan Times — "Kyiv Science Academy hit, 10 dead as Russian jet-drones strike across Ukraine" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/29/world/kyiv-science-academy-russia-drones/National Security Journal — "America's Own National Academies Have Now Condemned Russia's Direct Strike on Ukraine's Scientific Infrastructure" (29 Sep 2026): https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/americas-own-national-academies-have-now-condemned-russias-direct-strike-on-ukraines-scientific-infrastructure/Kyiv Post — "Russia Pounds Kyiv Again With Ballistic Missiles Hours After Attacks Kill 2, Injure 26" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85606Kyiv Post — "'Science Became a Target': Europe Condemns Russian Strikes on Kyiv Civilian Sites" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85607Kyiv Post — "Zelensky Warns Russia Is Training North Korea for War, Feeding Iran Satellite Intelligence" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85609Research Professional News — "Leaders condemn Russia's 'barbaric' attack on Ukrainian academy" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-europe-other-nations-2026-9-leaders-condemn-russia-s-barbaric-attack-on-ukrainian-academy/ALLEA (All European Academies) — "ALLEA Condemns Russian Drone Strike on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" (29 Sep 2026): https://allea.org/allea-condemns-russian-drone-strike-on-the-national-academy-of-sciences-of-ukraine/UNITED24 Media — "Two Scientists Killed in Russian Strike on Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences" (28–29 Sep 2026): https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/two-scientists-killed-in-russian-strike-on-ukraines-national-academy-of-sciences-22926----------
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  1117. Russia Has Grown Malign Because of Our Weakness - Defeat ONLY Safe Outcome!? 30.09.2026 1h 3min

  James Sherr OBE is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme, which he headed from 2008–11. He currently is a Honorary Fellow at the International Centre for Defence & Security in Tallinn, Estonia, and he was previously Senior Fellow of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute there. His background stretches across the UK Defence Academy, Oxford, RUSI, extensive advisory work in Ukraine and decades of research into Soviet/Russian military and security policy.----------LINKS:https://icds.ee/en/author/james-sherr-5/https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/james-sherrhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Sherrhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/james-sherr-obe-9593885/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------DESCRIPTION:James Sherr: Russia Chose War in 2021—And the West Still Thinks in Peacetime TermsIn this interview, James Sherr argues that Russia’s core security culture and institutions—its siloviki and General Staff—were never reformed after the USSR, and that a key change in late 2020–2021 was Moscow’s conclusion that it could not achieve its objectives in Europe without war, testing the Biden administration and seeking recognition of a Russian sphere of influence. Since 2022, he says Russia has intensified a holistic, undeclared war against the West alongside the brutal war in Ukraine, with “hybrid” operations becoming increasingly kinetic, while Western responses remain constrained by peacetime legal standards, escalation fears, and lost institutional memory. Sherr stresses that Putin seeks to crush Ukraine, that Russia will not stop voluntarily, and that only tangible, risk-accepting Western actions can make Russia’s aims infeasible; he also notes Russia’s effective allies and warns Western analysis often misreads Russian belief systems, endurance, and concepts of power.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Russia Militarized State01:11 Why War Became Inevitable04:11 Undeclared War Reality06:11 Attribution And Escalation Trap10:19 Lost Deterrence Memory12:37 Siloviki Culture Unreformed14:52 Dark Empathy For Russia19:19 Authority And Prigozhin Lesson23:24 Western Weak Signals30:04 Allies And Alignment Of Interest35:03 Putin Next Levers40:44 No Magic Breaking Point47:07 War Transforms Russia58:10 Risk And Strategic Neutralization----------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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  1116. BEWARE! Russia is Militarizing FAST - Could this Lead to a Systemic Collapse? 29.09.2026 47min

  Lough is currently Senior Research Fellow and Head of Foreign Policy & International Partnerships at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre (NEST Centre). He leads its foreign-policy work and international partnerships. He remains an Associate Fellow in Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme. ----------LINKS:https://nestcentre.org/author/john-lough/https://nestcentre.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lough-6201804/https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/john-lough----------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----------
• 
  1197. Putin's War of Erasure - EVERYTHING Becomes a Weapon - Including the Economy! 26.09.2026 45min

  Dominic Culverwell is a British-born, Kyiv-based journalist and business reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where his beat covers Ukrainian companies, investment, energy, corruption and reform. He joined the publication in 2023 after freelance work for outlets including the Financial Times, bne IntelliNews, RFE/RL, Euronews and New Eastern Europe. Before that, he worked with StopFake as a disinformation expert, debunking Russian narratives in Europe.----------LINKS:Kyiv Independent London event: https://tickets.kyivindependent.com/events/thekyivindependentlive/2281999https://kyivindependent.com/https://kyivindependent.com/author/dominic/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-culverwell-283b71153/https://muckrack.com/dominic-culverwell-https://x.com/DomCulvhttps://www.rferl.org/author/dominic-culverwell/u_ykqy----------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----------
• 
  Russia's SHAM Election is Over - Will Putin Now Throw Everyone into 'Meat Grinder?' 26.09.2026 22min

  Silicon Bites Ep406 | 2026-09-26 | What comes after Putin’s sham election? Russia’s hidden mass mobilisation is already running and will be far bigger than the western allies are expecting or planning for. It’s time to wake up to the scale of the threat that Putin represents to the whole free world. Twenty-first of September 2022. Vladimir Putin goes on television and announces a "partial" mobilisation. Eight days earlier, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov had told the world there were no such plans. This is four years to the day. Now Russia's election chief, Ella Pamfilova, announces that Putin's United Russia has taken 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. A record. A supermajority. A parliament with no anti-war party in it, because the only anti-war party was struck off the ballot by the Supreme Court in August. Apparently, everyone is delighted with the war in Russia. ----------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:Mediazona — "Cases of forced deployment to the front are multiplying. Mediazona compiles known incidents" (22 Sept 2026): https://en.zona.media/article/2026/09/22/pacmobilisationMediazona Data Department — "Four years of 'partial' mobilisation. New data reveals the fates of Russia's mobilised men" (21 Sept 2026): https://en.zona.media/article/2026/09/21/mobilisedEuronews — "Putin's party wins record Duma majority in Kremlin-controlled elections as EU vows sanctions" (21 Sept 2026): https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/21/putins-party-wins-record-duma-majority-in-kremlin-controlled-elections-as-eu-vows-sanctionEuronews — "Putin's United Russia party wins record 355 parliament seats, election chief says" (21 Sept 2026): https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/21/russians-vote-in-final-day-of-parliamentary-electionsTRT World — "Putin's United Russia wins record 355 seats in State Duma" (21 Sept 2026): https://www.trtworld.com/article/d007edc36e76Outlook India (citing Reuters) — "Russia Election: Putin's United Russia Wins Record 355 Seats" (22 Sept 2026): https://www.outlookindia.com/international/russia-election-putins-united-russia-wins-record-355-seatsEuronews — "Russians leave before election ends, fearing mobilisation to follow" (19 Sept 2026): https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/19/russians-leave-before-election-ends-fearing-mobilisation-to-followCharter'97 — "For the 18th time since the start of summer, the Kremlin has stated that 'there will be no mobilization'" (18 Sept 2026): https://charter97.org/en/news/2026/9/18/698953UNN — "The Kremlin has already assured for the 18th time since the beginning of summer that there will be no new mobilization" (19 Sept 2026): https://unn.ua/en/news/the-kremlin-has-already-assured-for-the-18th-time-since-the-beginning-of-summer-that-there-will-be-no-new-mobilization-in-russiaBloomberg — "Russians Fear Putin Will Send Them to War Once Election Is Over" (18 Sept 2026): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-18/russians-fear-putin-will-send-them-to-war-once-election-is-overThe Spokesman-Review (Bloomberg syndication, full text) (18 Sept 2026): https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/18/russians-fear-putin-will-send-them-to-war-once-ele/----------
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  1113. Rising ALARM in Europe as Countries Brace for New Russian 'HYBRID' Drone Attack?! 24.09.2026 33min

  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----------
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  Putin's Inner Circle Knows that Kremlin 'Bunker Grandpa' has Totally "LOST THE PLOT"!? 24.09.2026 13min

  Silicon Bites Ep406 | 2026-09-24 | Everyone around Putin knows the war is lost — except grandpa. Explosive new leaks hint at what Putin’s inner circle believe, and the picture is hardly of loyalists that are invested in a common vision. Rather a cynical and spineless elite simply clinging to power and their lives – buying more time to grift and protect their ill-gotten gains. But what if there is no plan to what, what if there never was a plan? But they are all only improvising day to day to survive? ----------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:UA.News — "Hackers have published Peskov's correspondence regarding Prigozhin and Navalny" (23 Sep 2026; relays Agentstvo's analysis): https://ua.news/en/world/khakeri-opublikuvali-perepisku-pieskova-pro-prigozhina-i-navalnogoPriamyi Online (PRM) — "Hackers obtained correspondence between a Russian official and Peskov, discussing Tokayev and Prigozhin" (23–24 Sep 2026): https://prm.ua/en/hackers-obtained-correspondence-between-a-russian-official-and-peskov-discussing-tokayev-and-prigozhin/UNIAN — "'Все настолько плохо, что нужно что-то делать': хакеры слили переписку Пескова" (23 Sep 2026): https://www.unian.net/world/dmitriy-peskov-predskazal-smert-prigozhina-za-tri-mesyaca-13507953.htmlTSN — "'Нельзя помочь самоубийце': хакеры слили 'переписку' Пескова" (23 Sep 2026): https://tsn.ua/ru/svit/nelzya-pomoch-samoubiytse-hakery-slili-perepisku-peskova-o-putine-prigozhine-i-navalnom-foto-smi-3174272.htmlMY.UA news cluster — "Хакеры Black8Mirror слили переписку Пескова" (23 Sep 2026): https://my.ua/news/cluster/2026-09-23-khakery-black8mirror-slili-perepisku-peskova-chto-on-pisal-o-putine-prigozhine-i-tokaeveFocus.ua — "Переписка Пескова — что в Кремле писали о Дне ВМФ, выступлении Токаева и Пригожина" (23 Sep 2026): https://focus.ua/world/768777-perepiska-peskova-chto-v-kremle-pisali-o-dne-vmf-vystuplenii-tokaeva-i-prigozhinaYahoo News — "Putin's Paranoia Exposed in Leaked Kremlin Message Trove" (23 Sep 2026): https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/putin-paranoia-exposed-leaked-kremlin-210335389.htmlWikipedia — Mikhail Babich (background biography): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_BabichNewsweek — "Russia's Navy Day Sees Ships Replaced With Giant Banner of Vessel" (26 Jul 2026): https://www.newsweek.com/russia-navy-day-sees-ships-replaced-with-giant-banner-of-vessel-12249515Ground News aggregation (incl. Kyiv Independent, ISW) — Navy Day parade cancelled for second straight year: https://ground.news/article/russia-cancels-st-petersburg-navy-day-parade-for-second-straight-year-amid-ukrainian-drone-threatUkrainska Pravda — "Russia again decides not to hold its 'main naval parade'" (15 Jun 2026, citing Fontanka): https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/15/8039371/The Moscow Times — "Speaking Alongside Putin, Kazakh President Calls for Freeze of Ukraine War" (26 Jul 2026): https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/07/26/speaking-alongside-putin-kazakh-president-calls-for-freeze-of-ukraine-war-a93339----------
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  1112. Fear and WEAKNESS are Preventing Western Allies from Arming Ukraine for Victory!? 21.09.2026 32min

  Livestream with Yuri RashkinLINKS:https://rashkinreport.substack.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rashkin-report/id1183073638----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------
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  We're CLOSER to WAR in Europe - As Putin's Appetite for Risk and Confrontation Grows! 16.09.2026 10min

  Silicon Bites Ep402 | 2026-09-17 | Flares at a Danish Helicopter, Drones over Lithuania and Moldova, Fire on Poland's Doorstep — Putin Has Stopped Deterring Europe and Started Shaping the Future Battlefield. Two flares. No warning. No radio call. One passed within metres of a Danish military helicopter over the Baltic Sea on Monday. A few metres more, and Denmark would be burying aircrew killed by a Russian warship in international waters.Moscow did not apologise. Moscow handed out a medal. On Wednesday, Russia's Defence Ministry announced that Andrei Belousov had awarded the ship's captain the medal "For Courage". The courage in question was firing pyrotechnics at a helicopter on a perfectly legal monitoring mission. It is a pattern, not an isolated incident. It also forces the question Europe keeps dodging. Is Putin still trying to deter us, or has he already moved into the next phase?----------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:Bloomberg, "Denmark Says Russian Warship Fired Flares at Helicopter," 15 Sep 2026 — https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-15/denmark-says-russian-warship-fired-flares-at-helicopterDefense News / Reuters, "Russian frigate fires flares towards Danish military helicopter," 15 Sep 2026 (Frederiksen quote) — https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2026/09/15/russian-frigate-fires-flares-towards-danish-military-helicopter/The Moscow Times, "Belousov Awards Warship Captain for 'Skillfully and Decisively' Firing Flares at Danish Helicopter," 16 Sep 2026 (Bruus quote via Reuters; corvette Soobrazitelny) — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/16/belousov-awards-warship-captain-for-skillfully-and-decisively-firing-flares-at-danish-helicopter-a93724The Moscow Times, "Denmark Summons Russian Ambassador After Frigate Fires Flares Toward Military Helicopter," 15 Sep 2026 — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/15/denmark-summons-russian-ambassador-after-frigate-fires-flares-toward-military-helicopter-a93709Al Jazeera / AFP / Reuters, "Russia warns Denmark after near miss in Baltic Sea," 15 Sep 2026 — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/15/russia-warns-denmark-after-near-miss-in-baltic-seaThe Irish Times, "Nato jets shoot down drone violating Lithuania's airspace," 15 Sep 2026 (von der Leyen quote) — https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2026/09/15/nato-jets-shoot-down-drone-violating-lithuanias-airspace/LRT / BNS, "Nausėda: drone shot down over Lithuania was Russian Gerbera headed for Ukraine," 16 Sep 2026 — https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/3054232/nauseda-drone-shot-down-over-lithuania-was-russian-gerbera-headed-for-ukraineMeduza, "Ukrainian electronic warfare apparently knocked a Russian attack drone off course and into Lithuanian airspace," 16 Sep 2026 — https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/16/ukrainian-electronic-warfare-apparently-knocked-a-russian-attack-drone-off-course-and-into-lithuanian-airspace-the-country-s-president-saysMezha, "Moldova Reports Two Drone Airspace Violations During Russian Attack on Ukraine," 14 Sep 2026 — https://mezha.net/eng/news/c1fec6fb_moldova_reports_two/----------
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  1104. How the War CHANGED Putin's Propaganda Machine - Does it Still Work? 16.09.2026 1h 16min

  Andrew Ryvkin was born in the Soviet Union, grew up in Boston, then spent close to two decades in Moscow. He studied History and International Relations at St Petersburg State University and subsequently worked across media, advertising, PR and political television. He published glossy magazines in which Kremlin talking points appeared alongside luxury advertising, produced political talk shows that simulated pluralism while maintaining the state line, and worked within the milieu surrounding Vladislav Surkov and other Kremlin political managers. He now writes for outlets including The Atlantic and Air Mail, lectures on information warfare and authoritarian media systems, and is publishing a memoir, provocatively titled 'The Propagandist'.----------LINKS:https://andrewryvkin.com/https://andrewryvkin.substack.com/https://x.com/andryvkin?lang=en-GBhttps://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/about/people/andrew-ryvkinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewryvkin/https://www.theatlantic.com/author/andrew-ryvkin/----------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----------
• 
  Ukraine Answers Trump with a Big Kinetic F--- You?! As Major Russian Refinery Struck! 16.09.2026 20min

  Silicon Bites Ep401 | 2026-09-16 | Trump announced a truce that nobody had agreed to. As if uttering the lie loudly and demonstratively would make it so. This little authoritarian trick is wearing thin. Hours later Ukraine burned the AVT-6 unit at a Rosneft refinery — and Russia burned two Kyiv petrol stations. There is no truce. Never was and is very unlikely to be one until Putin snuffs it. The problem is that only one side’s act of violence is being treated in Washington as a problem. And of course, the problem according to Trump is the victim defending themselves, lawfully. Trump is an abuser, and a grifter, and so will always politically and psychologically side with the aggressor, a fellow abuser, the bully and parasite. This is the world he is comfortable with. ----------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:Kyiv Post — Ukraine Strikes Russian Refinery, Aircraft Plant and Ozon Facility in Massive Overnight Attack, 15 September 2026 — https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84536UNITED24 Media — Ukraine Confirms Strikes on Rosneft's Syzran Oil Refinery and Orion UAV Plant, 15 September 2026 — https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/ukraine-confirms-strikes-on-rosnefts-syzran-oil-refinery-and-orion-uav-plant-22565Kyiv Post — Putin Resists Energy Truce Announced by Trump, 15 September 2026 — https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84540UNITED24 Media — Moscow Says Trump Energy Truce Is a "Very Good Idea" — But Adds One Big Demand (Peskov, via Ukrainska Pravda), 15 September 2026 — https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/moscow-says-trump-energy-truce-is-a-very-good-idea-but-adds-one-big-demand-22570Ukrainska Pravda — Peskov remarks on the proposed energy truce, 15 September 2026 — https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2026/09/15/8053526/Kyiv Post — Russian Drones Hit Kyiv Gas Stations, Kill 1 as 200 UAVs Attack Ukraine, 15 September 2026 — https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84528Euromaidan Press — Russian drones killed a man and injured eight in Kyiv, hitting two gas stations, 15 September 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/09/15/russian-drones-killed-a-man-and-injured-eight-in-kyiv-hitting-two-gas-stations/UNITED24 Media — Russian Drones Target Kyiv Gas Stations Again as Morning Attack Injures Eight, 15 September 2026 — https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/russian-drones-target-kyiv-gas-stations-again-as-morning-attack-injures-eight-22555Reuters (via The Globe and Mail) — Brent rises above $107 as attacks, pipeline outage deepen Saudi supply concerns (contains the Reuters calculation on Russia's top diesel refineries), 15 September 2026 — https://theglobeandmail.com/investing/article-oil-climbs-as-saudi-pipeline-outage-fresh-attacks-heighten-supplyReuters (via US News) — Trump Tells Ukraine's Zelenskiy to Stop Hitting Russian Diesel, Doonbeg, 13 September 2026 — https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-09-13/trump-tells-ukraines-zelenskiy-to-stop-hitting-russian-dieselKyiv Independent — Trump tells Zelensky to stop striking Russian diesel infrastructure, 13 September 2026 — https://kyivindependent.com/trump-tells-zelensky-to-stop-striking-russian-diesel-infrastructure/----------
• 
  1109. Prepare for the BIG STEAL - November Midterm Elections in US Will be 'Battleground'! 16.09.2026 34min

  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".----------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----------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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  Putin has This Family In His Pocket - Kushner Laments Ukraine's Refusal to Capitulate! 14.09.2026 15min

  Silicon Bites Ep400 | 2026-09-15 | A Putin-decorated oligarch paid for Don Jr's wedding party. Jared Kushner was a guest. Four months later, Kushner spoke remotely to an event in Kyiv and explained that the obstacle to peace is Ukraine. He is clearly upset that Ukraine won’t surrender, won’t capitulate to the aggressor, acquiesce to be erased. Both stories are crashing into our timelines today, in waves of disbelief, outrage and nausea. These are simply the worst people, dragging us to hell. Fireworks launched from a barge over the Caribbean. A five-tier cake airlifted in from Florida. Helicopters and seaplanes landing on a pair of ultra-exclusive private islands. The president's eldest son lifting his bride into the air on the sand. ----------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----------Dedicated to the bravest person I know - who has set their will implacably against the enemy, who would stop at nothing to defend their land, their language, their family and their freedom. May they see live to see Ukraine liberated, and the enemy defeated and ground to dust. SOURCES:ProPublica — Donald Trump Jr.'s Bahamas Wedding Was Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin, 14 September 2026 (full text as syndicated): https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-jr-2677854200/Meduza (English) — Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fund Donald Trump Jr.'s Bahamas wedding, 14 September 2026: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/14/russian-oligarch-umar-kremlev-spent-hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars-to-help-fund-donald-trump-jr-s-bahamas-weddingCBS News — Donald Trump Jr.'s wife says Russian oligarch hosted post-wedding festivities as a "gift", 14 September 2026: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-jr-wife-wedding-russian-umar-kremlev/Forbes — Donald Trump Jr. And Wife Defend Lavish Wedding 'Gift' From Russian Oligarch, 14 September 2026: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/09/14/donald-trump-jr-and-wife-defend-lavish-wedding-gift-from-russian-oligarch/Axios — What we know about the Putin ally who allegedly funded Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding, 14 September 2026: https://www.axios.com/2026/09/14/umar-kremlev-donald-trump-jr-wedding-bahamasThe Washington Times — Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding partially funded by Russian oligarch, ProPublica reports, 14 September 2026: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/14/donald-trump-jrs-wedding-partially-funded-russian-oligarch-propublica/The Hill — Top Oversight Democrat wants answers on Russian oligarch's role in Trump Jr.'s wedding, 14 September 2026: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6088330-garcia-questions-russian-oligarch-funding/Rolling Stone — Don Jr.'s Wife Confirms Putin Ally Paid for Huge Portion of Wedding, 14 September 2026: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/putin-ally-umar-kremlev-paid-don-jr-wedding-1235626155/Ukraine War & Sanctions register (GUR) — entry for the All-Russian public movement "Healthy Fatherland", kidnappers section: https://war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua/en/kidnappers/companies/11460Proekt (English) — investigation into Umar Kremlev and Alexei Rubezhnoi: https://www.proekt.media/en/guide-en/kremlev-rubezhnoy/----------
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  1203. BEGINNING OF THE END: Russia’s War Efforts Mired in Lies and Delusions! 14.09.2026 33min

  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----------