Silicon Curtain

2026-01-27 | UPDATES #114 | Russian warships escort “grey fleet” vessels through the English Channel — a confrontation in the making?A sanctioned oil tanker is boarded in the Mediterranean. Days later, a Russian warship escorts an oil tanker through the English Channel — with NATO watching every meter of water. This is a potential flashpoint, sanctions enforcement colliding with Russian naval deterrence, Putin running maritime cover for the operations of his illegal oil export trade.Today’s news flash is about the English Channel — and a major challenge for NATO planners: Russia is pairing its oil-linked shipping with naval escorts, and the West is inching toward more assertive enforcement against the “shadow” or “grey” fleet that bankrolls the war.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES: Reuters (Jan 23, 2026): UK Royal Navy shadows Boikiy and MT General Skobelev through the English Channel. Royal Navy (Jan 23, 2026): Official operational account + statements from Al Carns and ship/aircrew. Reuters (Jan 22, 2026): UK support for French operation to board tanker Grinch; Healey quote on shadow fleet priority. Reuters (Jan 22, 2026): France intercepts Grinch; Macron and Zelenskyy X-post quotes; legal framing under UNCLOS; diversion for investigation. AP (Jan 22–25, 2026): French interception and subsequent detention/questioning of Grinch captain; investigative steps. The Maritime Executive (Jan 2026): “Heightened scrutiny” around General Skobelev transit; Kelin quote; UK enforcement posture signals. UK Government (Jan 7, 2026): Healey statement on shadow fleet, sanctions count, and enforcement framing (background). Hansard (UK Parliament, Jan 19, 2026): Parliamentary language tying shadow fleet transits to wider threat perception (background). ----------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----------

2026-01-26 | UPDATES #113 | “Treason” in the PLA? Xi’s unprecedented purge — corruption, loyalty, and coup rumours. Today’s story is not “just another corruption scandal” in China. This is the Chinese Communist Party reaching up into the absolute top of the People’s Liberation Army — right into the room where war plans live — and yanking out two senior figures in one move. Top figures in fact. Beijing’s official language is clipped. The implications are not. China’s defence ministry says it has opened investigations into General Zhang Youxia — a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, effectively the uniformed number two under Xi Jinping — and General Liu Zhenli, a CMC member and chief of the Joint Staff Department. The stated reason: “suspected serious violations of discipline and law.” (Reuters)----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES: Xinhua: Defence ministry announcement (Jan 24, 2026). Xinhua / PLA Daily editorial summary (Jan 24, 2026). Reuters: Investigation details and context on PLA purges (Jan 24, 2026). Associated Press: Overview and recent purge timeline (Jan 24, 2026).Financial Times: Loyalty framing and “authority” angle (Jan 25, 2026). Washington Post: Scale of upheaval and command implications (Jan 25, 2026).Wall Street Journal: Reported additional allegations (unconfirmed by PRC statement) South China Morning Post: “Party purity” framing and political timing (Jan 25, 2026). Official explainer of the “CMC Chairperson Responsibility System” (SCIO, background).Reuters (background): Li Shangfu/Wei Fenghe expulsions (Jun 2024) and 2027 readiness reporting (Feb 2023). German Marshall Fund (background): Rocket Force shakeup (Aug 2023). Andrew Erickson (analysis aggregation; includes translated/linked primary text). Sinocism (analysis; discussion of messaging speed and implications). ----------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----------

Livestream with Yuri Rashkin----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------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----------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/-----------

2026-01-24 | UPDATES #112 | Davos: The Heckle-Fest—and the Cost of America’s New Posture. Trump’s Gangster Shakedown in Europe. Davos is usually a place where elites congratulate each other for “dialogue,” then fly home in private jets to continue not doing not enough, or to vigorously pursue inaction. This week, though, Davos did something rare: it heckled. And it heckled America — specifically the Trump administration’s new habit of treating allies like adversaries, of turning geopolitics into ritual humiliation, and turning diplomacy into a reality show elimination round. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES: Reuters — Lutnick heckled at Davos dinner hosted by BlackRock’s Fink (Jan 21, 2026). Financial Times — Lutnick dinner incident / Lagarde walkout reporting (summarized in Reuters/People) (Jan 20–21, 2026). People — Al Gore reaction; DOC pushback; “energy policy is insane” quote (Jan 21, 2026).Reuters — Bessent: “Denmark itself… is irrelevant”; Macron swipe; “deep breath” (Jan 21, 2026).Reuters — Europe leaders in Davos; Macron “respect to bullies”; De Wever red lines; Busch “stroking the cat”; Zelensky X post reference (Jan 20, 2026). Reuters — Trump: “big retaliation… we have all the cards”; “total access”; “no cost” (Jan 22, 2026).World Economic Forum — Official Davos transcript excerpts (“piece of ice,” “won’t use force,” “daddy”) (Jan 21, 2026). Reuters — “Trump whisperer” Rutte; lavish praise strategy; analysts on psychology and compromise (Jan 22, 2026). RFE/RL — Witkoff “end now… optimistic”; “down to one issue”; Zelensky “Groundhog Day” framing (Jan 22, 2026). ----------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----------

Anna Danylchuk has been creating a war diary since the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. Anna Danylchuk aims to tell the truth about Ukraine and Russia’s war and cut through the noise and propaganda. Anna is passionate about the beauty and independence of her country, and communicates this powerfully in her videos, in a clear and honest way.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------LINKS: @AnnafromUkraine https://www.buymeacoffee.com/annafromukraineMy interview with Anna in Lviv - hosted on her excellent channel- https://youtu.be/daHcnsNQ1S0?si=yHbZ2kJZ3CTVRd8Z----------The Steel Porcupine https://www.thesteelporcupine.com/I’m proud to say that this series of ‘Ukrainian advent’ interviews is supported by The Steel Porcupine – a unique and powerful film about a country that refuses to lie down, a people who turned themselves into a fortress of needles when Russian tanks rolled in. The Steel Porcupine is an unforgettable cinematic experience that exposes Russia's campaign of extermination in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people's spirit to resist and prevail. It follows soldiers, volunteers and people who decided that survival meant resistance, not submission.Created by the makers of the acclaimed To the Zero Line, this is another film about humanity, that clearly states there is no such thing as neutrality when war crimes are being committed systematically by Russia, and on a scale in Europe only comparable to World War Two. Set to a haunting soundtrack featuring music by Philip Glass, and blending rare archival footage with original material, it is an impactful work of art and storytelling, as well as being informative.----------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/----------DESCRIPTION: Facing Russian Aggression: A Deep Dive with Anna Duk on Ukraine's ResilienceJoin Jonathan as he hosts Anna Danylchuk, an influential voice from Ukraine, discussing the impact of the harsh winter and Russia's persistent aggression. They explore Russian propaganda, the mechanics of the war, and the resilience of the Ukrainian people. Anna vividly describes the drastic weather conditions and how they are leveraged by Russia to weaken Ukrainian resolve. Jonathan and Anna analyze Russia's internal issues, including economic mismanagement and public dissent, and the resilience and self-organization of the Ukrainian populace. This dialogue uncovers the broader geopolitical implications, including NATO's role, and the parallels with historical collapses of empires. Anna provides insights into potential scenarios of Russia's future and highlights the importance of accurate information and strategic responses from the international community.----------