Silicon Curtain

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

Silicon Bites Ep303 | 2026-03-16 | Moscow is getting a taste — a tiny taste — of what Ukrainians have lived with for years. May it continue and grow ever more inconvenient for Muscovites. For a second straight day, Russian officials were reporting drones headed for the Russian capital. On Saturday, March 14, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defences had downed 65 drones bound for Moscow over roughly 11 hours. Reuters reported that Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed 280 drones were intercepted across central and western Russia during a 10-hour period, including 47 targeting Moscow. That already made it the biggest drone attack on the Moscow region this year by Russian official count.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Reuters, March 14, 2026 — Russian air defences down 65 drones headed for Moscow, mayor says. AP, March 14, 2026 — Moscow struggles with cellphone internet outages. AP, March 14, 2026 — Russian strike on Kyiv region kills 4 people and wounds 15 as peace talks are stalled (includes Russia’s claim of 87 drones overnight and flight restrictions near Moscow). Kyiv Independent, March 14, 2026 — Moscow attacked by over 60 drones in single day, mayor says. TASS, March 15, 2026 — Drone attack on Moscow becomes largest this year — TASS calculations. Reuters, May 16, 2023 — Kremlin reaction to CIA outreach; includes context that Russia raised the maximum penalty for treason to life.AP, 2024 — A Russian charged with sending video of military equipment to Ukraine gets 14 years in prison. ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

2026-03-16 | UPDATES #146 | Spectacular explosions in Russia – Ukraine has gone after something bigger than another refinery fire and more consequential than just another spectacular ammo dump explosion on Russian soil. Overnight on March 11–12, 2026, Ukrainian drones struck infrastructure at the Tikhoretsk oil pumping station in Krasnodar Krai — a hub that multiple outlets describe as one of the largest oil logistics nodes in southern Russia. Reuters, citing a source in Ukraine’s SBU, says the strike hit the pumping station and triggered a large fire. Russian regional authorities also acknowledged the attack and said emergency crews were fighting a blaze. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Reuters, March 12, 2026 — Ukrainian drones hit oil hub in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Kyiv Independent, March 12, 2026 — Major Russian oil hub hit in Ukrainian drone strike in Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says. Ukrinform, March 12, 2026 — SSU strikes one of largest oil hubs in southern Russia in Tikhoretsk, source says. Ukrainska Pravda, March 12, 2026 — Ukraine’s Security Service behind drone attack on oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai – UP sources. Ukrainska Pravda, March 12, 2026 — Oil depot on fire in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai after drone attack – photos, video. Kyiv Post, March 12, 2026 — Ukraine Hits One of Southern Russia’s Largest Oil Transshipment Hubs. UNITED24 Media, March 12, 2026 — Drone Strike Ignites Fire at Key Russian Oil Storage Facility in Krasnodar Region. Reuters, March 2, 2026 — Black Sea’s Novorossiysk port suspended loadings after a major Ukrainian drone attack. Reuters, February 24, 2026 — Transneft cuts pipeline oil intake after drone attack on key pumping station. Reuters, February 24, 2026 — UK targets Russia’s Transneft in new sanctions on Ukraine war anniversary. Reuters, March 12, 2026 — Oil jumps 7% as Iran escalates attacks on Gulf shipping. SPRAVDI / Stratcom Centre on X, March 12, 2026 — social-media reaction referenced in breaking coverage.----------

Stanislav Gryshyn is a Ukrainian defence-tech entrepreneur and combat veteran best known as a co-founder and Director of Strategic Development and Project Management at General Cherry, a frontline-focused Ukrainian drone manufacturer specializing in FPV strike and interceptor systems. He is part of Ukraine’s wartime miltech ecosystem, with General Cherry’s products developed for real combat use by Ukraine’s security and defence forces. Since 2022 he has served with Ukraine’s Centre for Innovation and Development of Defence Technologies under the Ministry of Defence and in the 412th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems, 101st Brigade, and that he was one of the developers of Delta, Ukraine’s situational-awareness, battle-management system.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanislav-gryshyn-2b1582152/4https://www.gencherry.com/enhttps://forumkyiv.org/en/speakers/stanislav-gryshyn----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep302 | 2026-03-15 | Make it make sense. Iran helped Russia attack Ukraine, but Russia is also providing data to Iran to target U.S. military assets in its confrontation with Iran. Yet Trump is lifting oil sanctions on Russia. None of it makes sense, unless we accept that Trump is acting to benefit Russia, whether he is fully conscious of that or not. I’m inclined to believe he knows what he’s doing, when he makes decisions that provide strategic advantage to Vladimir Putin. As the war evolved against Ukraine, Russia absorbed drone technology from Iran, the infamous Shaheed, scaled production, and according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now supplying Shahed drones back to Iran for use against the United States and Israel. Reuters, quoting Zelenskyy’s CNN interview broadcast on March 15, says he called it “100% facts” that Iran has used Russian-made Shaheeds against U.S. bases. Reuters also added an important caveat: not every Shahed used in the region can be cleanly attributed from public evidence, and the exact manufacturer is not always clear. The strongest version of the claim is this: Zelenskyy says Russia is now feeding the very drone ecosystem that Iran once fed into Russia’s war on Ukraine. (Reuters)Reports are coming out today even, that claim China is manufacturing drones for use by both Russia and Iran. This is the axis of authoritarians in full alignment on this issue at least. That is one of many grotesque inversions, in an episode where we struggle to make sense of it all.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Reuters, March 15, 2026 — Zelenskyy says Ukraine wants money and technology in return for Middle East drone help.Reuters, March 14–15, 2026 — Zelenskyy says Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones. AP, March 15, 2026 — Zelenskyy says talks are delayed and pushes back on Trump’s dismissal of Ukrainian drone help.Reuters, March 13, 2026 — Zelenskyy says the Iran war distracts from Ukraine and that a Russian oil waiver could aid Moscow. Reuters, March 9, 2026 — Ukraine sent drone experts to protect U.S. bases in Jordan, Zelenskyy says. Reuters, March 10, 2026 — Ukraine sent air-defense teams to Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Reuters, March 5, 2026 — U.S. and Qatar discussed acquiring Ukrainian interceptor drones and jammers. Reuters, March 8, 2026 — Zelenskyy says Ukraine has unique drone experience and is ready to help partners. Bloomberg, March 13, 2026 — U.S. Army sent 10,000 interceptor drones to the Middle East that were used or developed for the Ukraine fight.The Guardian, March 12, 2026 — UK Defence Secretary says Putin’s “hidden hand” lies behind Iranian drone tactics.Atlantic Council, March 12, 2026 — analysis arguing the Iran war highlights Ukraine’s rise as a drone power. ----------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----------