Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep415 | 2026-10-08 | Putin has bet the farm on this war. And today the drones came calling – for the server farms, that is. Ukraine hits Yandex’s Sasovo data centre — in a new phase of the war of consequences for Moscow — Putin tried to make Kyiv unliveable. Now the mirror strategy flips toward Moscow. Did Putin really think he could strike Ukraine without being struck back? ----------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:Meduza — "Ukraine strikes Yandex data center housing two of the company's supercomputers" (8 Oct 2026): https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/08/ukraine-strikes-yandex-data-center-housing-two-of-the-company-s-supercomputersCNBC — "Russia's internet giant Yandex halts operations at major data center after drone attack" (8 Oct 2026): https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/08/russia-yandex-ukraine-drone-strike-data-center.htmlAFP via Yahoo News — "Drone hits Yandex data centre, in first such attack on Russia" (8 Oct 2026): https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/drone-hits-yandex-data-centre-084549070.htmlFrance 24 — "More than 30 killed in Russian strike on buses in Ukraine's Kramatorsk as Kyiv targets data centre" (8 Oct 2026): https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20261008-russian-strike-buses-kills-at-least-12-ukraine-kramatorsk-kyiv-targets-data-centreKyiv Post — "Ukraine Strikes Yandex Data Center, Russian Oil Refinery Overnight" (8 Oct 2026): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/86416The Record (Recorded Future News) — "Major Yandex data center in Russia hit by Ukrainian drone strike" (8 Oct 2026): https://therecord.media/yandex-russia-drone-ukraineNewsweek via Yahoo News — "Ukraine strikes major data center of Russia's 'Google' in drone attack" (8 Oct 2026): https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/ukraine-strikes-major-data-center-074954554.htmldpa via Yahoo News — "Ukraine strikes Yandex data centre in Russia, firm confirms 'incident'" (8 Oct 2026): https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/ukraine-strikes-yandex-data-centre-091832238.htmlKyiv Independent — front-page briefs on the Sasovo strike and the Defence Ministry's refinery assessment (7–8 Oct 2026): https://kyivindependent.com/Meduza — "Russia has begun striking Kyiv's bridges across the Dnipro for the first time since invading Ukraine" (4 Oct 2026, background): https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/04/russia-has-begun-striking-kyiv-s-bridges-across-the-dnipro-for-the-first-time-since-invading-ukraine----------

Lisa Woods is Founder and Executive Director of the MedPsy Foundation Inc and MedPsy Foundation Ukraine, focused on psychedelic therapy research and mental health advocacy in Ukraine. She has over 13 years of experience in humanitarian health, including serving as Deputy Health Cluster Coordinator for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Ukraine.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisanwoods/https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7497927230010916864/https://medpsyfoundation.org/https://www.medpsy.org.ua/teamhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1imZLn4Wfw----------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----------

Pyotr Kurzin is host of The Global Gambit podcast, as is an historian of great power politics and the Cold War. He also has Russian British heritage, which gives him a close perspective on the topic. ----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@PKurzinhttps://www.youtube.com/@UCSody-jKZxozgjTP2xddWhQ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pyotrkurzin/ --------------------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 Ep414 | 2026-10-07 | What do you give the killer Tsar for his birthday? A tyrant that has everything, and enough money to buy anything, and almost anyone. It’s simple, you give him a pile of dead kids and babies. Putin turns 74 — and his court of sick minions and slaves sought to flatter his ego by flattening an apartment block. This resulted in three dead one-year-olds, five kids killed overall and another seven wounded. and a besieged capital cowering under his wrath. Kyiv is now the front line, and the cruelty has no ceiling, no limits and seemingly no end.WHAT DO YOU GIVE A KILLER FOR HIS BIRTHDAY? On Wednesday 7 October 2026, Vladimir Putin turned 74. His army knew exactly what he would want. Seventy missiles. A residential building in Pryluky turned to rubble while its residents slept. Children pulled out of the concrete. The empire of savages does not send greetings, it sends corpses, blood and grief.----------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:Reuters (via The Print), "At least 24 killed in Ukraine, Zelenskiy condemns one of Russia's most 'vile strikes'", 7 Oct 2026 — https://theprint.in/world/at-least-24-killed-in-ukraine-zelenskiy-condemns-one-of-russias-most-vile-strikes/3064836/Reuters (via GV Wire), "At Least 24 Killed in Ukraine, Zelenskiy Condemns One of Russia's Most 'Vile Strikes'", 7 Oct 2026 — https://gvwire.com/2026/10/07/at-least-24-killed-in-ukraine-zelenskiy-condemns-one-of-russias-most-vile-strikes/Reuters (via News Tribune), "Russia launches heavy strikes at Ukraine, killing at least 20", 7 Oct 2026 — https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/oct/07/russia-launches-heavy-strikes-at-ukraine-killing-at-least-20/ABC News, "Russia hits Ukrainian apartment buildings in deadly overnight strike, Zelenskyy says", 7 Oct 2026 — https://abcnews.com/International/russia-hits-ukrainian-apartment-buildings-deadly-overnight-strike/story?id=137058213Euromaidan Press, "Oleksandr, Kyrylo and Serhii, all aged one, and eight-year-old Maksym were killed in Ukraine's city by Russian strike on Putin's birthday", 7 Oct 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/07/oleksandr-kyrylo-and-serhii-all-aged-one-and-eight-year-old-maksym-were-killed-in-ukraines-city-by-russian-strike-on-putins-birthday/Euromaidan Press, "14 dead in Pryluky, two each in Kyiv, Kremenchuk, and Oleksandriia: Russia's night of 70 missiles", 7 Oct 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/10/07/five-dead-in-pryluky-two-each-in-kyiv-kremenchuk-and-oleksandriia-russias-night-of-70-missiles/The Kyiv Independent, "Russia slams Kyiv in mass missile, drone attack on Putin's 74th birthday", 7 Oct 2026 — https://kyivindependent.com/russia-slams-kyiv-in-mass-missile-drone-attack-on-putins-74th-birthday/The Kyiv Independent, "Zelensky warns Russia preparing mass strike", 6 Oct 2026 — https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-warns-russia-preparing-mass-strike/The Kyiv Independent, "Russia attacks Kyiv as drone debris falls into residential area, sets cars ablaze", 6 Oct 2026 — https://kyivindependent.com/russia-attacks-kyiv-as-drone-debris-falls-into-residential-area-sets-cars-ablaze/----------

Silicon Bites SW26-225 | 2026-10-07 | Russia is Testing the locks. Probes on NATO’s sovereign borders are intensifying, and with them comes increased risk, from a bolder and more desperate Russia. Testing the locks: armed men on Latvia’s border, drones exploding in Moldova, a Russian helicopter over Poland. Putin is probing NATO for the weakest seam in the defensive cloth. The only question is whether we can find the strength to defend ourselves before he finds it.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Armed individuals from Belarus threaten Latvian soldiers at border, followed by another breach" (6–7 Oct 2026)TVP World — "Armed escorts push migrants towards Latvia as masked men breach border" (Oct 2026)LIGA.net — "Armed, masked individuals threatened Latvian military personnel at the border with Belarus" (Oct 2026)Mezha (citing Ukrainska Pravda) — "Latvia Reports Belarus Border Provocations After Masked Intruders Damage Surveillance System" (7 Oct 2026)UA.News (citing RMF24) — "Armed men threatened Latvian military at border" (Oct 2026)Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — protest note on August 2023 border violation near MusteikaMeduza — "Poland says Russian military helicopter violated its airspace" (23 Sep 2026)Kyiv Independent — "Russian Mi-8 helicopter violates Polish airspace near Kaliningrad, Poland says" (23 Sep 2026)TVP World — "Russian military helicopter briefly breaches Polish airspace" (23 Sep 2026)Kyiv Independent — "NATO jets shoot down drone over Lithuanian airspace after it flew in from Belarus" (15 Sep 2026)AP via ABC News — "NATO jets down drone in Lithuanian airspace" (15 Sep 2026)AP via FOX 5 San Diego — explosive device found on Lithuanian drone (15 Sep 2026)----------