Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep357 | 2026-06-22 | When the island runs dry: how Ukraine turned Putin's crown jewel into his most exposed nerve — an Achilles heel rather than a strategic asset – and why the pumps going dry on Russia Day's weekend is the moment the myth of Putin’s invincibility died. At nine o'clock this morning, in occupied Crimea, the petrol stopped. Not only rationed. Not accepting coupon-only. Not capped at twenty litres. Stopped entirely. The panic has truly set in. The Kremlin's man on the peninsula, Sergey Aksyonov, posted to Telegram that from 09:00 on Sunday 21 June, fuel would be sold to nobody — not for cash, not by card, not on a voucher, not to a private citizen, not to a business. Only the state gets to refuel now. This of course puts the military requirements above the population. Absolutely standard for Russia. ----------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:Euronews — Russian-occupied Crimea suspends petrol sales amid fuel crisis (21 June 2026)The Moscow Times — Ukrainian Strikes on Russian-Annexed Crimea Kill 4, Pause Fuel Sales (21 June 2026)Bloomberg — Russia-Occupied Crimea Halts Fuel Sales After Ukrainian Attacks (21 June 2026)WRAL / AP — Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales (21 June 2026)The New Voice of Ukraine — Fuel sales halted in occupied Crimea as fire burns at Kerch fuel terminal (21 June 2026)The New Voice of Ukraine — Explosions reported across occupied Crimea amid large drone attack (21 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — Explosions reported in occupied Crimea, fires break out in Kerch (21 June 2026)LIGA.net — Video of the attacks on the Port of Kerch on June 21, 2026 (21 June 2026)Kyiv Independent — Oil terminal, port infrastructure reportedly set ablaze on both sides of Kerch Strait (21 June 2026)Kyiv Independent — Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil, gas sites in Crimea and Siberia (20 June 2026)Kyiv Independent — 'Hell is beginning' — Ukraine could isolate occupied Crimea, Fedorov says (17 June 2026)Ukrainska Pravda — Crimea will become isolated due to Ukrainian drone strikes, Ukraine's defence minister says (17 June 2026)----------

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----------

Joe Lindsley is a traveler and a writer, and American reporting from Ukraine throughout Russia's full-scale war. Joe is founder and host of Under Fire News (UFN), whose mission is to enable cooperation among innovators, investors, and defenders of freedom, and of course advance the cause of Ukraine in its defence of freedom and independence. He once was protégé to Fox News founder Roger Ailes, but Lindsley escaped that frenzied world where power mattered more than truth. He came to Lviv for a Ukrainian Catholic University journalism conference on Information Overload, AI, and Responsibility. Then the Coronavirus shut down world travel, and he stayed to build a better vision for the media industry.----------LINKS:https://underfire.news/https://underfirenews.substack.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lindsleyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-lindsley-60087618/https://twitter.com/JPLindsleyhttps://www.instagram.com/jplindsley/https://www.facebook.com/josephlindsley----------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 Ep356 | 2026-06-20 | On 12 June 2026, Vyacheslav Markhayev — Communist Party of the Russian Federation, sitting State Duma deputy, former Buryat OMON riot-police commander, former colonel of the Russian Interior Ministry — published a Telegram statement that, by the standards of the Russian state in 2026, should have produced an immediate Article 280.3 dissemination-of-false-information prosecution. Cross-confirmed across Meduza (12 June 2026), The Moscow Times (12 June 2026), Kyiv Post (12 June 2026), Novaya Gazeta Europe (12 June 2026), the statement read in part — and we paraphrase to preserve the substance:----------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:Michael Naki — long-form video analysis of 18 June 2026Meduza English — "Communist Party lawmaker warns Russia is 'on the brink of a social explosion' and demands a 'clear plan' to end the war" (12 June 2026) The Moscow Times — Markhayev statement coverage (12 June 2026).Kyiv Post — "Russian Lawmaker Warns of 'Social Explosion' Amid War Losses, Demands 'Public Plan' to End War" (12 June 2026).Eurasia Review — "Russia 'On Brink Of Social Explosion' Because Of Kremlin Policies Over The Last 25 Years – OpEd" (14 June 2026) Novaya Gazeta Europe — Markhayev statement and Russian-language criticism coverage (12 June 2026).The Moscow Times via Charter97 and Dagens.com — VTsIOM stopped publishing the open Putin trust rating after it fell to 29.5% in early April 2026; methodology change to door-to-door canvassing in mid-May 2026; closed-rating still at ~73% (8 June 2026).Mezha (Bukvy) — "VTsIOM halted open Putin approval rating after it fell below 30%" — methodology comparison between open recall and direct trust polling.Kyiv Independent — "Russian pollster stops publishing Putin's 'open trust' figures as ratings slide" (8 June 2026).Kyiv Independent — "Leaked Kremlin reports predict rising dissatisfaction with Putin, Zelensky claims" (14 June 2026)Kyiv Post — "Leaked Forecasts: Putin Faces Soaring Disapproval Ahead of Fall Elections" (14 June 2026)Janis Kluge via Yahoo / Daily Mail — Q1 2026 military spending analysis: 5.9 trillion rubles = 46% of federal budget = 30% YoY increase; military = two-thirds of revenues; oil/gas revenues -45% YoY; classified-spending category +40% to 40% of all expenditure; 12% of GDP per quarter on war.----------

David Satter is a journalist and historian with unique insights into how the deformation and repression of the past, is having terrible consequences for present day Russia. David has written extensively about Russia and the Soviet Union, especially the decline and fall of the USSR and rise of post-Soviet Russia. David Satter became the first American journalist to be expelled from Russia since the Cold War in December 2013. This was perhaps not a surprising move, given that his books have covered topics such as the FSB’s role in the apartment bombings that brought Putin to power. From 1976 to 1982 David was the Moscow correspondent of the Financial Times, and then became a special correspondent on Soviet affairs for The Wall Street Journal. He is currently a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a fellow of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. ----------BOOKS:He is author of several books that are essential reading to help understand the origins of the current crisis, including the brilliantly named books: - It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway- Darkness at Dawn: The Rise of the Russian Criminal State- The Less You Know, The Better You Sleep----------LINKS:https://davidsatter.com/https://twitter.com/davidsatter?lang=enhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Satterhttps://www.hudson.org/experts/362-david-satterhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/david-satter/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/authors/david-satter----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.----------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----------