Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep369 | 2026-07-18 | Why Russians can't have nice things — Ukraine burns the warehouses of the "Russian Amazon", and the war finally arrives at the Muscovite front door- challenging the comfort, convenience and privilege of the Russia elite population. On the morning of Saturday 18 July 2026, Muscovites woke to a black pall hanging over their capital. Not refineries this time, though those fires have become a familiar site to Russians. From the burning logistics empire of Wildberries — the "Russian Amazon" — struck by Ukrainian long-range drones in Elektrostal and in Kotovsk, alongside a blazing oil depot in Noginsk. Zelensky calls it "long-range sanctions." We call it the moment the consumer economy of the Muscovite heartland discovered that Putin's war has a return address. Strike Nova Poshta depots in Ukraine, well, there are consequences, Russians. ----------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----------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 — "2 Russian logistics centers, oil depot hit as Kyiv launches hundreds of drones towards Moscow" (18 July 2026)Militarnyi — "Retaliatory Strikes Against Russia's Warehouse Infrastructure Have Begun: Wildberries Terminals in Moscow and Tambov Regions are on Fire" (18 July 2026)Ukrinform — "USF confirm strike on Wildberries warehouse in Moscow region" (18 July 2026)UNITED24 Media — "Ukraine Brings the War to Russia's Amazon as Wildberries Hubs Go Up in Flames" (18 July 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — "Large-scale drone attack on Moscow and Moscow Oblast: oil depot and Wildberries warehouse on fire" (18 July 2026)UNN — "Wildberries warehouses, hit by Ukrainian UAVs, were used to supply sanctioned drone parts" (18 July 2026)UNN — "OSINT analysis confirmed a fire at the Wildberries warehouse in the Moscow region after a UAV attack – Astra" (18 July 2026)CNN — "Eight warehouse workers killed in deadliest Ukrainian attacks inside Russia for two years" (18 July 2026)CBS News — "Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian warehouses and oil depot kill at least 8, injure over 60" (18 July 2026)Euronews — "Ukrainian forces strike 'major' logistics hubs in central Russia" (18 July 2026)Defense Express / defence-ua.com — "Moscow Region on Fire — Ukraine Attacked Warehouses and Refineries in Several Cities Near Capital of russia" (18 July 2026)Mezha/Bukvy — "Ukraine strikes Russian Wildberries warehouses" (18 July 2026)----------

Silicon Bites Ep370 | 2026-07-19 | At half past one this morning, Sunday the 19th of July, the explosions started again in Kyiv. Forty-one missiles and 125 drones launched across Ukraine overnight — twenty-five of them ballistic — and most of the missiles, in Zelensky's own assessment, aimed at the capital. Three people killed in Kyiv at a minimum – 20 or more across the country. At least sixteen wounded – though the tally is rising through the day as rescue efforts continue. Fires burning in five districts of the city. Residential buildings, offices, a student dormitory, industrial premises — hit and ablaze, per the State Emergency Service.Has Putin lost his mind? Can he really think that this kind of mass terror strike is effective? The terror is real — but look closer: this is the logistics war, scaling up in real time, and Russia's vertical empire is losing it. ----------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----------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:AP (via WSLS/KRMG), "1 killed, 16 wounded in an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv," 19 July 2026Kyiv Independent, live news feed, 19 July 2026 (Kyiv ballistic attack; Tambov Oblast warehouse strike)Kyiv Independent, "2 Russian logistics centers, oil depot hit as Kyiv launches hundreds of drones towards Moscow," 18 July 2026 NPR, "8 killed and more than 60 wounded in Ukrainian drone attack on Russian regions," 18 July 2026Washington Post, "Russia rocks Kyiv with massive missile, drone attack," 2 July 2026 NPR, "Russia's missile and drone attacks on Ukraine kill at least 22," 6 July 2026 (interceptor shortage; Zelensky quote) CNN, "Deadly Russian strikes hammer Kyiv on eve of critical NATO summit," 5–6 July 2026 (UN HRMMU casualty finding; third-deadliest attack) ABC News, "Russian overnight bombardment of Kyiv kills 22," 6 July 2026 (Russian MoD claims; district damage)Euromaidan Press, "Russia has hit over 200 Ukrainian locomotives this year," 4 July 2026 RailwayNews EU, "Russia's Attacks Targeting Ukrainian Locomotives," July 2026 (1,000+ rail attacks since early 2026) ISW / Critical Threats, "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 7, 2026" (shadow-fleet tanker strikes; Crimea electrical facilities; Kinburn Spit)ISW via Kyiv Post, "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 13, 2026" (Crimea isolation campaign; Oleksandrivka liberations)----------

Antonina Ria - Public Relations and Communications specialist, consultant, mentor and producer of Cyber Smart City. Before the full-scale war, she worked on commercial projects in the tech industry. In particular, she started the development of the YouControl brand, founded the social direction there, and created the company’s PR department. She helped Ukrainian startups implement PR strategies. From the first hours of the full-scale invasion, she joined the PR Army as a volunteer. She worked with UNITED24, helping with its international launch. She was a host and presenter of the ‘In the World of IT” section on Polish Radio for Ukraine. Now she helps foreign media with Ukrainian context and stories. ----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonina-ria/https://conference-2024.lvivmediaforum.com/en/speakers/antonina-riahttps://x.com/antonina_riahttps://www.instagram.com/antonina.ria.pr/https://cybersmartcity.org/#home----------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 Ep368 | 2026-07-16 | Could sacking Fedorov be one of the worst self-inflicted wounds of Ukraine's war? Russia is celebrating the move, which means it can’t be good, and how the decision by Zelenskyy has brought the cardboard protests back on to the streets. THE SYSTEM STRIKES BACK: Zelensky fires Mykhailo Fedorov — the most effective defence minister of the full-scale war — after six months, sides with the Soviet-schooled general, whose family it must be noted, still live in Russia, though apparently have cut him off. ----------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----------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 US News) — Factbox: Who Is Ukraine's Mykhailo Fedorov, the Dismissed Defence Minister? (16 July 2026)Kyiv Independent — Zelensky dismisses Defense Minister Fedorov, deepening turmoil in Ukraine's military leadership (15–16 July 2026) Kyiv Independent — 'Utterly baffling': Ukrainians outraged, call for protest after Zelensky ousts Fedorov (16 July 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — Zelenskyy could no longer tolerate ongoing conflict between Defence Minister Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi – UP sources (16 July 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — Protesters in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities call for Fedorov to be kept on as defence minister (16 July 2026) Euromaidan Press — "Cardboard" protests against Zelenskyy's firing of Fedorov erupt across Ukraine (16 July 2026) Euronews — Ukrainians hold rare wartime protest over defence minister's dismissal (16 July 2026) Euronews — Zelenskyy dismisses Ukraine's popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (15 July 2026)Bloomberg — Protests Flare in Kyiv Over Ouster of Popular Defense Minister (16 July 2026) AP (via ABC News) — Protesters rally in Kyiv as Zelenskyy moves to oust Ukraine's defense minister (16 July 2026)----------

Bert Watson is an American government-relations consultant, U.S. Navy veteran and long-standing advocate for stronger U.S.–Ukraine relations who has travelled to Ukraine repeatedly, including eight visits by June 2026. His perspective is unusual because it combines political communications, defence and energy experience with repeated exposure to Ukrainian military units, command posts, special-forces headquarters, hospitals, humanitarian organisations and defence innovators. ----------LINKS:https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/bert-watsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bertwatson/https://www.watsonandco.us/team----------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----------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----------