Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep309 | 2026-03-30 | The alarm sounds from inside the community of regime loyalists – Russia’s own z-patriots warn of a new 1917 revolution. This episode is based on Maxim Kalashnikov's Telegram warnings, February–March 2026. In February 1917, the Russian Empire collapsed from within — under the weight of a war that had gone on too long, demanded too much sacrifice, and offered no benefits in return – an economy that had cracked under the strain, and soldiers at the front who had simply stopped believing in the men who had sent them there. Women lined up for bread in Petrograd. Factory workers walked off their jobs. Soldiers — sent to fire on the crowds — refused. And in a matter of days, three centuries of Romanov rule was over.One hundred and nine years later, a man who has spent his career cheer-leading for Vladimir Putin, for the war in Ukraine, for Russian nationalism and imperial ambition, is invoking that exact moment. And he's not invoking it as a threat to the West. He's invoking it as a warning to Moscow and specifically, to Valdimir Putin. His name is Maxim Kalashnikov. And what he's saying from inside Russia's pro-war Z-blogger ecosystem should be required reading — and required listening — for everyone who wants to understand where this war is going.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:@visionergeo / X (Twitter) — "If a Storm Lies Ahead..." — Kalashnikov Telegram post translated and published (2026)@visionergeo / X (Twitter) — Shakhty mine soldiers: "if Ukraine is not defeated by December, a wave will come from the front" — July 2025 Telegram postCharter'97 — "Z-Propagandist: US And Ukraine Have Trapped The Kremlin In A Trap" — February 22, 2026Charter'97 — "The Kremlin Is Preparing For A Social Explosion" — March 6, 2026Window on Eurasia — "Russia's Fate Being 'Decided by the Economy and Not with the Seizure of Some Village in Ukraine,' Kalashnikov Says" — February 2026@NatalkaKyiv / X (Twitter) — Kalashnikov February 17, 2026 post: "if the economy collapses, no shutdown of Telegram or communications will help. Both the 'elite' and the security structures will begin to fall apart."----------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----------

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----------Timothy Ash, who has been professional economist for more than 30 years, with two thirds of that in the banking industry. Timothy’s specialism is emerging European economics, and he writes and blogs extensively on economic challenges for leading publications such as the Kyiv Post, Atlantic Council, the Financial Times, and the United Business Journal. He is also an Associate Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House and has advised various governments on Ukraine-Russia policy and specifically on the impact of sanctions.----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/tasheconhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-ash-83a87158/https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/timothy-ashhttps://cepa.org/author/timothy-ash/----------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/----------

Elvira Bary is an author, researcher, and creator working at the intersection of storytelling, self-discovery, and political insight. She also runs an insightful YouTube channel on Russian politics, history, and culture, where she explores how Russia’s history continues to shape the choices that the country makes today. Elvira writes historical fiction and dark fantasy rooted in Russian history and imagination. Narrative that are being reshaped and challenged in the light of Putin’s slide into authoritarianism and the decision to invade Ukraine full-scale in 2022.----------LINKS: https://elvirabary.com/about-elvira/ https://www.youtube.com/@elvirabary https://x.com/elvirabary BOOKS: The Snow Queen’s SpringRussian TreasuresThe White Ghosts' EmpireThe Prince of the SovietsThe Girl from the LabyrinthHunter / CommanderHunter / Strategist----------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----------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.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

2026-03-28 | UPDATES #156 | VYBORG: Ukraine Just Sank Putin's Arctic Dream a Thousand Kilometres from the Front Line. I used to go there from St Petersburg on weekend trips, to stroll around a city with a European scale and ambience (even though it has degenerated from a vibrant cosmopolitan city to a village mentality, when the Soviets stole it from the Finns). It’s odd to see places from one’s past descend into battlegrounds, with air raid sirens wailing and explosions detonating. A thousand kilometres from the nearest Ukrainian position. A shipyard on the Baltic Sea, 30 kilometres from the Finnish border. A city that used to be Finnish, that changed hands in wars most people have forgotten. And there, listing to port in the grey water of the harbour, her hull leaning against a neighbouring research vessel — a brand new Russian military icebreaker, built for Putin's FSB, designed to project power across the Arctic, worth an estimated €220 million.The Purga. Project 23550. Russia's state-of-the-art combat icebreaker. Struck by Ukrainian drones on the night of March 24th to 25th. Now keeling over in the port of Vyborg. This is symbolism of the highest order. It's a message to the Kremlin that nowhere is safe. Not your oil ports. Not your shipyards. Not your Arctic ambitions. Ukraine can reach all of it.----------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!----------

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".----------BOOKS: The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our EnemiesImage of Hacking ISIS: How to Destroy the Cyber JihadThe Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to StealDefeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe----------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----------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.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:Malcolm Nance on Trump’s Iran War, Market Manipulation Claims, and the New Asymmetric BattlefieldMalcolm Nance, a former US Navy cryptography and intelligence officer and national security commentator, joins Silicon Curtain to argue that Trump’s Iran war reflects personal pathology more than coherent domestic or foreign policy, describing an “imperial presidency” mindset and warning of dangerous, grift-driven decision-making. Nance alleges war-related announcements are timed to minimize market impact and enable profiteering, citing claims of stock moves tied to Trump’s circle, and says US leadership is unprepared for modern asymmetric warfare where cheap drones can overwhelm expensive defenses and cause massive economic damage. The discussion covers alleged US alignment with Moscow’s interests, hostility to Ukraine, and shifting Middle East security dynamics as Gulf states seek Ukrainian drone-defense expertise. Nance points to troop and logistics movements—special operations airlift, airborne deployments, parachute loads, and runway repair units—as indicators of potential escalatory operations involving Gulf islands or Iranian facilities, warning of catastrophic consequences.----------