Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep389 | 2026-08-25 | The marketplace economy was Russia's one modern achievement. Ukraine is burning it down. But this is not recreational, for fun (as one British newspaper implied). It is intentional, targeted and strategic. This is wartime infrastructure, as much as it is civilian – with its revenue powering the war economy and its shelves stocking military equipment for the SVO. After Ukrainian units hit the fifteen largest logistics hubs of Wildberries — it is now Ozon's turn. These are the words of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, published on Saturday. Less a threat, more a schedule and statement of intent. Ukraine is no longer conducting individual strikes but executing on a strategic plan with consequences. It finished with the marketplace leader, Wildberries, and it has moved to number two. It is telling the Russian business class, in advance, in public, which door it is coming through next. And on Monday morning, the market answered. Ozon's shares dropped as much as twelve percent on the Moscow Exchange.----------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:AFP via France 24 — "After Wildberries, Ukraine launches drone campaign on Russia's Ozon," 23 August 2026 — https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260823-after-wildberries-ukraine-launches-drone-campaign-on-russia-s-ozonEuronews — "Ukraine launches drone strikes on Russian e-commerce giant Ozon," 24 August 2026 — https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/24/ukraine-launches-drone-strikes-on-russian-e-commerce-giant-ozonReuters via CNBC — "Ukrainian drones hit warehouse of Russian online retailer Ozon," 22 August 2026 — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/22/ukrainian-drones-hit-warehouse-of-russian-online-retailer-ozon.htmlThe Moscow Times — "Ukrainian Drone Attacks Kill Multiple People Across Russia, Hit Ozon Warehouse," 22 August 2026 — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/22/ukrainian-drone-attacks-kill-multiple-people-across-russia-hit-ozon-warehouse-a93559Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukrainian forces strike Ozon logistics hub in Russia for first time," 22 August 2026 — https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/08/22/8049776/Militarnyi — "Ukraine Struck Ozon Warehouse for the First Time and Attacked an Oil Refinery in Samara Region," 22 August 2026 — https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukraine-struck-ozon-warehouse-for-the-first-time-and-attacked-an-oil-refinery-in-samara-region/Euromaidan Press — "Ukrainian drones hit warehouse belonging to Russian online retailer Ozon for the first time," 22 August 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/08/22/ukraine-drones-ozon-warehouse-first-strike/UNITED24 Media — "Ukrainian Drones Rip Into Ozon Logistics Center and Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery," 22 August 2026 — https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/ukrainian-drones-rip-into-ozon-logistics-center-and-novokuybyshevsk-oil-refinery-21899UAWire — "Ozon warehouse attacked for the first time in Russia after a series of strikes on Wildberries," 22 August 2026 — https://www.uawire.org/ozon-warehouse-attacked-for-the-first-time-in-russia-after-a-series-of-strikes-on-wildberries----------

Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 4 – The light that remains - just released to coincide with Independence Day here in Ukraine. This is a must watch!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kOTmNxKRnYhttps://www.youtube.com/@KyivOfMinehttps://www.kyivofmine.com/----------“Help DW and the team at Ukraine Story provide portable power banks to mobile air defense and victims of Russian strikes, learn more and donate at https://www.ukrainestory.org/donate Password: DefendKyivKYIV OF MINE is an unfolding story captured over many years: the story of a city of dreams and a people of hope before, during, and after Russia's full-scale invasion.----------⁠It was a brutal winter, and another cold season is already on the horizon. More than four years into the full-scale invasion, the war has left its mark. In this fourth chapter of KYIV OF MINE, we return to the people living through it and to the traumatic ways life, hope and resilience have changed.Chapter 1 – The Ukrainian Dream" • Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 1Chapter 2 – "It'll be over in three days" • Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 2Chapter 3 – "Holding onto the summer" • Kyiv of Mine : Chapter 3The film series is dedicated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.Below are links to some trustworthy organizations in need of funds to continue supporting and caring for the people of Ukraine and saving lives:https://u24.gov.ua/https://savelife.in.ua/en/https://www.hospitallers.org.uk/https://prytulafoundation.org/en/More information: https://www.kyivofmine.com/----------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 Ep387 | 2026-08-20 | Ukraine is stripping the sky away, layer by layer, above Putin's palace. We mean strikes against the layered air defences protecting Putin Palace. The symbolism and psychological impact of destroying the residence, as if it were a Wildberries warehouse would be immense.Last night Russia fired ballistic missiles at Kyiv for eleven hours. At least sixteen people are dead across the capital and the region. Eight of them died in Solomianskyi. The windows of a children's hospital were blown in and cars burned in the grounds. Ukraine intercepted almost none of the ballistics, because Ukraine does not have the interceptors.And roughly nine hundred kilometres south-east, on a cliff above the Black Sea, there is a 17,700-square-metre Italianate palace with a private church, a cinema, an underground bunker complex and an aqua disco — and, as of this month, a hole in the sky above 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:----------

Silicon Bites Ep388 | 2026-08-21 | Something big is happening. NATO filled the Baltic sky this week with aviation assets – what does it mean? These are extraordinary movements of NATO aircraft in the Baltics. Do they constitute exercises, or something more? Deterrence, or moves to counter specific threats from Russia. The debate rages around why Putin may attack or provoke NATO specifically in Europe. Putin's main aims: subjugate Ukraine, destroy the credibility and cohesion of NATO and the EU, and erode the global power and authority of the US. He needs a major provocation to achieve any of these objectives. Of course, he’s counting on us to flinch – but if that doesn’t work, would he go fully ‘kinetic’ and hostile? This episode argues, he already has. ----------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:----------

Ilya Ponomarev is a Russian-Ukrainian politician who was a member of the Russian State Duma from 2007 to 2016. After the 2022 Russian invasion, Ponomarev joined Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces, and categorically denounced the invasion. While a member of the Russian State Duma, he was the only deputy not to vote in favour of the Russian gay propaganda law and to vote against Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014. He is now in exile in Ukraine and is a spokesman with insurgent Russian forces (National Republican Army) fighting on the side of Ukraine. ----------LINKS:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Ponomarev https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002113qhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/ilya-ponomarev/BOOKS:Does Putin Have to Die? The Story of How Russia Becomes a Democracy after Losing to Ukraine (Hardcover – 19 Jan. 2023)ARTICLES: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/01/19/ilya-ponomaryov-we-have-to-capture-the-kremlin-there-is-no-other-way-a83772 ----------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----------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----------