Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep329 | 2026-05-01 | Russia is turning into burning hell, as the motor of its war economy goes up in flame – the oil infrastructure that Putin’s power depends on is being systematically destroyed. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. «Посеешь ветер — пожнешь бурю» Comrade. Perm burns, deep in the Russian Urals as Lukoil's largest refinery is hit and Tuapse is smacked for the fourth time. It is 30 April 2026. The city of Perm, in the Russian Urals, sits more than fifteen hundred kilometres from the Ukrainian border. It is, by any conventional military measure, supposed to be safe. It is the sort of place Russian state media has spent four years assuring its citizens is permanently beyond the reach of Ukraine's response.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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----------SOURCES:Bloomberg — "Ukraine Strikes Key Russian Refinery, Pumping Station in Perm" (30 April 2026) Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukrainian drones strike oil refinery and pumping station in Russia's Perm again" (30 April 2026) Euromaidan Press — "SBU drones hit Lukoil's Perm refinery — 1,500 km from Ukraine" (30 April 2026) The Moscow Times — "Chemical Emergency Alert Issued in Perm After Ukraine Strikes Industrial Sites" (30 April 2026)RBC-Ukraine — "Major Russian refinery key unit ablaze after Ukrainian drone strike" (30 April 2026) The Defense News — "Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Russian Oil Refinery in Perm Over 1,500 km from Border" (30 April 2026)Newswall / NewsMezha — "SBU says long-range drones attacked Lukoil refinery in Perm, large fires erupted" (30 April 2026) AP / Click On Detroit — "Ukraine says a strike hit Tuapse oil terminal, the fourth attack on the region in 2 weeks" (1 May 2026) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Ukraine Strikes Deep Inside Russia, Tuapse Hit Again" (1 May 2026) CNN — "'Oil is literally falling from the sky': Russian town fears environmental disaster after Ukrainian drone strikes on refinery" (30 April 2026) ----------

2026-05-01 | UPDATES #189 | Girkin has issued another outburst from prison — 'we are heading for military defeat.’ The man who did more than most to start this war now says it is lost. He is a criminal, but this pronouncement is worth listening to. The implication, the Putin regime has lost control of its own founding myth – its own justification for existing. The rest is failure and defeat. His name is Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin. Pen name: Strelkov — the Shooter. Former colonel of Russia's FSB. The self-proclaimed man who "pulled the war's trigger" in April 2014 by leading armed Russian militants across the border into Sloviansk. The so-called Defence Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic. Convicted in absentia by a Dutch court in November 2022 for the mass murder of 298 civilians on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. By any honest accounting, an international war criminal of the first order.----------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: Ukrainian News (Ukranews.com) — "Terrorist Girkin predicts Russia's military defeat" (Late April 2026) Euronews — "EU approves €90 billion loan for Ukraine after Hungary lifts controversial veto" (23 April 2026)Council on Foreign Relations — "Orbán's Fall in Hungary Opens a Door for Europe — and Closes One for Russia" — Liana Fix and Benjamin Harris (3 April 2026) Ukrainska Pravda / European Pravda — "Hungary's Magyar comments on EU's €90bn loan for Ukraine" (13 April 2026) Ukrainska Pravda — "EU wants to unblock €90bn for Ukraine as quickly as possible after Orbán's defeat" (13 April 2026)Wikipedia — Igor Girkin (Strelkov) The Moscow Times — "Ex-Rebel Leader Girkin Sentenced to 4 Years for Extremism After Criticizing War" (25 January 2024) Newsweek — "Putin's forces heading to military 'defeat,' former Russian commander warns" (April 2023)Newsweek — "Russia has suffered 'strategic defeat' as war nears 10th month: Igor Girkin" (December 2022) The New Voice of Ukraine — "Former 'DPR' leader argues Russia is 'heading for a military defeat'" (April 2023) ----------

Oleksandra Chorna is a Blogger and Therapist based in New York. She runs platforms including on YouTube focusing on democratic politics, authoritarian slide, and Ukraine's struggle to remain independent in the face of Russian aggression. ----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@UC9WVWN8qNEiy2CofIUW9Zpw https://www.instagram.com/mom_ocracy/https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksandra-chorna-30b9088/----------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 Ep328 | 2026-04-28 | Rule by secret decree: how Putin hid half his government from his own people. Inside the Russian Information Blackout. The full scale of the catastrophe of the Russian economy and governance has been hidden. It means the collapse, when it comes will be so much bigger than many suspect, including many people within the Russian system itself. Imagine a country where almost half of the orders signed by the head of state are classified. Where you can be arrested for breaking a law you are not allowed to read. Where the cause-of-death registers have been redacted to hide who is dying and why. Where the Land Registry has been classified to protect the dachas of officials, and where Members of Parliament have made it illegal for journalists to photograph them at work. The country is the Russian Federation, in 2026, and these are just a fraction of the secret information, rules and decrees.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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----------SOURCES:Mediazona / Moscow Times — "Half of Putin's Decrees Classified in 2023" (2 January 2024) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Russian News Outlet Says Data Shows Putin Signed Record Number Of Secret Decrees In 2023" (2 January 2024)Newsweek — "Vladimir Putin's Rule by Secrecy" — Brendan Cole (4 January 2024) Kyiv Post — "Putin Produces So Many 'Secret' Decrees – What Has He Got to Hide?" (4 January 2024) Charter'97 — "Putin Issues Unprecedented Number Of Secret Decrees" (2 January 2024)The Moscow Times — "Russia Limits Access to Key Economic and Demographic Data Amid Downturn Concerns" (1 August 2025, citing Promsvyazbank analysis)bne IntelliNews — "Russia's Rosstat decides to hide increasing bleak income and retail figures from the public" (6 August 2025)Carnegie Endowment for International Peace — "Secret Economy: What Hiding the Stats Does for Russia" (July 2022) VoxUkraine — "Illusion of Stability: Never trust Russian stats" (December 2024) ----------

2026-04-29 | UPDATES #188 | Plant potatoes, because everything has turned to shit. That’s the pronouncement of one of the cheerleaders of Putin’s pointless war. Another propagandist warns that Putin’s regime is toxic and the Tsar may soon be deposed. Yevgeny Golman's potato warning meets Maxim Kalashnikov's toxic-Putin verdict. Russia is racing fast towards a repeat of the disastrous 90s. Russia has no real opposition, claimed Mark Feigin in an interview conducted this time last year. None that could challenge Putin at least and be a serious contender to seize power. So where is dissent coming from? It is coming from the regime's own loudest cheerleaders — the people whose entire careers have been spent shouting that everything is fine — suddenly, on camera, screaming that everything is not fine. Cue the meme of the dog sitting in a room of flames. That is Russia now – especially Tuapse – but the dog is realising that all in NOT ok. That whining sound of privileged Russians complaining is getting louder, and this week, includes the sound of two such men. The first is a Wagner Private Military Company veteran called Yevgeny Golman, screaming at his audience: "Guys, we need to change — everything needs changing! Otherwise, we're fucking screwed!" And his specific advice to ordinary Russians? Plant potatoes. ----------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: Caucasian Knot (English) — Confirms Golman as Wagner PMC member, head of Dobrynya Foundation, SVO veteranWarTranslated (Dmitri) — Golman "hysterical outburst" on 1308th Motor Rifle Regiment (early February 2026); shackled soldiers paying to use toiletEchelon (PeerTube) — "Yevgeny Golman: Humor on Russian Army's Front Situation & Authorities' Helplessness" (April 2026)NoelReports (Mastodon) — Golman on volunteer organisations failing to fund socks and underwear; mass business closures halting volunteer assistance (17 February 2026)Kyiv Post — "Top Russian Milblogger Praises Ukraine Army, Predicts Kremlin Spring Offensive Will Fail" (April 2026) — Primary source for Friday YouTube vlog: Putin "toxic figure," "dead end from which he cannot get out," "throwing him out of power as the only way to maintain their position"; Podolyaka quotes; Filatov "Roads and Memories"----------