Silicon Curtain

David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone’ podcast @NoDelusionZone is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians. ----------LINKS:@NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------

Silicon Bites Ep285 | 2026-02-14 | Today: Munich: the “child of Europe” speech, the missing commitments, and the price of self-deception. Dateline: Munich Security Conference, Friday–Saturday, 13–14 Feb 2026.Europe cheers Secretary of State Marco Rubio, principally because he did not harangue and berate the audience, did not hector and threaten. His tone was conciliatory, and the audience gave him an ovation. But this was a shameful spectacle of weakness and desperation. Europe revealed that it would give anything to return to ‘normal’, to how things were before Trump. They revealed that they’d still rather hang off the coat tails of the U.S. than stand up and face reality. This was a spectacle of timid and fearful children, not adults or leaders. It was even more desperate, because Rubio did not bring a return to ‘normality’. His tone may have been soft, but there was no change of substance detectable, no shift in national security policy. Hiding beneath the soft fabrics of his words, lies a cold and dark truth – the U.S. intends to meddle in European democratic affairs, promote populists and disruptors. Weaken the continent, not strengthen it. Rubio came as a wolf in sheep’s clothing to Munich, and European leaders and analysts duly flocked to praise him as signifying a return to normality. Normal is over and is not coming back. It’s time to wake up; time to grow up and cut the umbilical cord with a U.S. that has other priorities, and other distractions. It may respect us if we show strength, independence and innovation, but never if we continue to show weakness. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES:Reuters — Rubio tells Munich security forum US and Europe “belong together” (Feb 14, 2026).Reuters — Rubio casts US as “child of Europe,” critical friend to allies (Feb 14, 2026). U.S. State Department — Rubio remarks/transcript at Munich Security Conference (Feb 2026). Reuters — Zelensky says US too often asks Ukraine, not Russia, for concessions (Feb 14, 2026). Financial Times — Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich (Feb 13–14, 2026).The Guardian — Rubio urges renewed alliance, on Trump’s terms (Feb 14, 2026). TIME — Merz warns against deep rift; US not powerful enough to “go it alone” (Feb 14, 2026). UK Government — PM speech at Munich Security Conference (Feb 14, 2026). Sky News live coverage — Starmer/Rubio/Zelensky at MSC (Feb 14, 2026). Munich Security Conference PDF + American Presidency Project — JD Vance MSC speech text. ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

2026-02-14 | UPDATES #131 | The Hedgehog 2025 NATO military exercises ended in a “drone massacre”, courtesy of elite Ukrainian forces. This is what we’ve been saying on the channel for the last year and is corroborated by many of the guests with military experience that we have interviewed. It’s an object lesson for NATO — the wakeup call this hubristic and sclerotic organisation needs. And it’s better this lesson is learned by conducting exercises with allies, the Ukrainians, than in a direct confrontation with elite Russia drone units like Rubicon in a hostile war situation. We are not ready for the next war, and now NATO has the most compelling evidence of this fact. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Exercise Hedgehog / Siil 2025 (official exercise details)Estonian Defence Forces — Exercise Hedgehog 2025 overview (dates, participation). ERR (Estonian Public Broadcasting) — start of Hedgehog 25 with ~16,000 troops. NATO multimedia coverage of Hedgehog 25 / Siil 2025 (16,000 troops). UNITED24 Media (Feb 13, 2026) — summary of WSJ reporting; Delta; quotes from Estonian officers; “two battalions in a day” framing. Ukrainska Pravda (Feb 13, 2026) — detailed relay of WSJ opinion piece; scenario description; Delta; mock strikes. DroneXL (Feb 12, 2026) — secondary reporting recap (counts and timeline). RFE/RL (Sep 17, 2025) — Rubicon specialization, EW/SIGINT focus, systematic targeting claims, expert quotes. AP News — reporting on Russia’s drone production surge, organizational push for drone branch, fiber-optic drones, and training infrastructure. FDD Long War Journal (Jan 28, 2026) — recruitment drive for Russia’s Unmanned Systems Forces; training promises; scaling claims (attributed). RUSI (Nov 13, 2025) — commentary highlighting Rubicon and drone-driven battlefield transparency.Intelligence Online (Jan 27, 2026) — report snippet on Rubicon hiring and training (subscriber article). The Independent (Feb 6, 2026) — wargame scenario and political hesitation dynamics.Reddit (Feb 2026) — snapshot of public/social reaction and commentary. ----------

2026-02-13 | UPDATES #130 | This is just a delicious story. Starlink Honeypot: Russia Paid Ukraine to Doxx 2,420 Terminals. Ukrainians have mounted an extraordinary strong operation. The honeypot: how Russia “unblocked” Starlink… and gave away 2,420 locations. If you want a snapshot of this war in 2026 — here it is: Russia got cut off from Starlink and then tried to cheat the system by paying for a workaround. But there are no shortcuts and that opportunity to unbrick their Starlink terminals turned out to be a Ukrainian trap.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Maryna Vorotyntseva LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/maryna-vorotyntseva-a863917a_the-ukrainian-team-informnapalm-created-a-activity-7427751482172751872-0vBG/RBC-Ukraine — Defence Ministry claims operation collected data on 2,420 terminals, $5,870 donated, terminals blocked; includes Fedorov quote (12 Feb 2026). Ukrainska Pravda (EN) — Summary of operation; notes 2,420 terminals, donations, and 31 Ukrainians identified (12 Feb 2026). Babel (EN) — Reports based on 256th Cyber Assault Division statement; includes SBU context and collaborator identification (12 Feb 2026). UNN (EN) — Repeats Stratcom framing and operation summary (12 Feb 2026). Business Insider — Detailed write-up of the Telegram honeypot mechanics; notes it couldn’t independently verify screenshots; includes “Operation Self-Liquidation” and the “155s” quote (13 Feb 2026). Interfax-Ukraine (EN) — Fedorov at Ramstein: “beginning of our asymmetric actions” (12 Feb 2026).Reuters — Background on Starlink deactivation/whitelist and Russian “Two Majors” reaction (5 Feb 2026). Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (official site) — Whitelist process, daily updates, and confirmation Russian terminals blocked (5 Feb 2026). Business Insider — Background on Russia coercing/tempting Ukrainians to register terminals; POW family pressure (11 Feb 2026). ----------

Livestream with Jonathan MS Pearce where we talk to an American fighter training in Ukraine to fight against the Russians. His unit Revanche is fundraising for equipment through Dzyga's Paw.Donate to help out:https://dzygaspaw.com/signal-revanche?project=Revanchehttps://dzygaspaw.com/projects----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------