Silicon Curtain

Edition No79 | 11-01-2025 - This channel has been warning for over a year of the threats to marine ecologies from Russia’s rust-bucket fleet of clapped-out illegal tankers, transporting its blood oil to unscrupulous buyers around the world to fuel Putin’s genocidal war. And now another one of them is threatening disaster, as a shadow fleet vessel carrying 100,000 tonnes of oil breaks down and is adrift in heavy seas off Germany’s northern coast. The Eventin was sailing from Russia to Egypt with 100,000 tonnes of oil when its engine failed and it lost ability to manoeuvre. Three tugs are now attempting to steer it away from the coast and towards a safer area. Though if the vessel breaks up, there is no safe area for 100,000 tonnes of oil to dissipate. As the vessel drifted in coastal waters Friday, the foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, criticised Russia’s use of “dilapidated oil tankers” to avoid sanctions on its oil exports, calling it a threat to European security. Russia has used murky ships for oil exports to circumvent sanctions imposed by Western nations for waging its brutal war against Ukraine. ---------- At relatively short notice, we're organising two events in Ukraine in the last week of January. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/11/germany-battles-to-secure-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-adrift-off-northern-coast https://kyivindependent.com/germany-towing-shadow-fleet-tanker/ https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/11/germany-races-to-secure-stricken-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-2-a87574 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/11/germany-races-to-secure-stricken-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-2-a87574 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/10/nato-to-send-2-ships-to-guard-baltic-sea-infrastructure-finland-says-a87563 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Russia Is Losing the War in Ukraine, says a former senior US diplomat. In today’s interview I’m honoured to be joined by Ambassador James Gilmore, who explains the broader consequences of Russia’s actions and what’s at stake if the international community fails to push back against Putin’s aggressive imperialist and expansionist ambitions. As a Trump-era diplomat James Gilmore has had firsthand experience of negotiating with the US’s European partners and our common Russian foe. ---------- James Gilmore was the former US Ambassador to the OSCE during the first administration of President-elect Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, Gilmore also chaired the Republican National Committee in 2001 and served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe during the first Trump administration. In 1997 James Gilmore was elected as Governor of Virginia with a majority of 56%, where improvements to education quality and teacher numbers formed one of his key manifesto policies. ---------- KYIV POST INTERVIEW: Russia is losing: Former Trump Admin Insider Speaks Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhS-Gi4mrwk ---------- LINKS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Gilmore https://caprifoundation.org/james-s-gilmore-iii/ https://ua.usembassy.gov/tag/ambassador-james-s-gilmore-iii/ https://www.nga.org/governor/james-s-gilmore/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Liubov Velychko is a Ukrainian investigative journalist with over 15 years of experience uncovering corruption, crime, and human rights violations. She Specializes in exposing disinformation campaigns, and has conducted numerous investigations into Russian propaganda, revealing the networks behind its spread and dismantling the information operations orchestrated by Russian intelligence agencies. ---------- At relatively short notice, we're organising two events in Ukraine in the last week of January. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- LINKS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/v-press/ https://www.rusi.org/people/velychko https://x.com/VelychkoLiubov https://www.occrp.org/en/people/lyubov-velychko https://mind.ua/en/author/1158-liubov-velychko ---------- THE MAIN MYTHS: - Myth: Ukraine is irredeemably corrupt and has greater corruption issues than Russia. - Myth: Ukraine is not a democracy because elections have been suspended in wartime. - Myth: Russian language and culture are suppressed in Ukraine. - Myth: Russians don’t oppose the war, because they have ‘bad information’. - Myth: Russians can be divided into ‘good’ and ‘bad’. - Myth: Putin can be negotiated with using economically rational, transactional logic. - Myth: Putin insane, not simply a kleptocratic, chauvinistic psychopath. - Myth: Negotiations and treaties with Russia can give Ukraine peace and security. - Myth: Putin wants peace. - Myth: Russia will be satisfied with just a few territories of Ukraine, in DNR and LNR. - Myth: Zelensky makes decisions for himself and his clique, not the Ukrainian people. - Myth: Oligarchs pull all the strings, and leaders are only their puppets, and of the US. - Myth: Russian security concerns is a real and serious topic for consideration. - Myth: Russia could be accepted into NATO, and other international institutions. - Myth: Trade relationship with India, Global South, etc can help make Ukraine secure. - Myth: Russians can be forgiven this generation for the crimes committed in their name. ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Edition No78 | 09-01-2025 - Musk and Trump are shaking things up, and the inauguration of Trump 2.0 has not even begun. The four years following Trump’s election in 2016 felt like drinking from a fire hydrant of toxic nonsense. Somehow, though, the madness was largely contained to US domestic issues and pollution of the informational sphere – Trump did not instigate any major wars. It’s quite possible Putin delayed launching a full-scale war in Ukraine because Trump was in office and then COVID kicked in. But now, it seems the gloves of insanity are well and truly off. ---------- At relatively short notice, we're organising two events in Ukraine in the last week of January. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Reach for the impossible and get something for nothing - Moscow rules. Negotiation rather than hot war. Fear bargaining. People under pressure tend to make mistakes and default to appeasement of a bully - Again, a negotiating tactic designed to get more than you would otherwise. - Also force people to pick sides, alliances, impose exclusivity. Smoke and mirrors. Sleight of hand. - Musk – the same role played by Steele report and Guiliani in Trump 1.0. - Is Musk just saying mad things or being briefed and encourages by Trump circle. - Is he just tolerated, or are they extending his leash, goading him to do this? - Because it suits their purposes. Again, it’s the ‘insanity’ strategy that has worked so well for Putin, forcing western powers to self-deter. And even to snooze. He’s mad and is going to do it. - Accelerate the world to Vladimir Putin conception of geopolitics. - A dog-eat-dog world, or competition between sovereign imperial blocks. - All other countries are resources, assets, pawns, but do not have agency. Buckle up. Trump has had time to prepare for his 2.0 administration, and its going to be a bumpy ride. This is WWIII if we are lucky, which may have a finite beginning and end. If we’re unlucky this is the new global disorder, and it will become a permanent feature of life. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-horsfall-52243220/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------

Glen Grant worked as a defence and reform expert in Ukraine working for the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. He is also a Senior Fellow in the UK Institute for Statecraft on Building Integrity Initiative countering Russian influence. Glen graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Junior Staff Course Warminster and the Joint Staff Defence College at the Royal Naval College Greenwich. ---------- LINKS: https://x.com/GlenGrant https://balticsecurity.eu/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/glengrant/ https://jamestown.org/analyst/glen-grant/ ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS: https://www.kyivpost.com/podcasts/31754 https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/03/20/2023-is-a-time-and-chance-for-military-change-in-ukraine-glen-grant/ https://kyivindependent.com/author/glen-grant-15959/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Trucks under Christmas Tree Since 2022 an extraordinary group of people have been fighting the information war for Ukraine in the global arena. Car for Ukraine has now joined with a group of these special people and their communities to bring Christmas to the frontline in the toughest areas where the fight is happening right now. https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for Silicon Curtain: € 10,000 to purchase 1 truck to save Ukrainian lives. With this campaign, we will raise funds for 1 truck to help brave warriors from the 237th battalion, 129th brigade who leverage technology and manage to hold russian advance at the very edge of the frontline. Who will receive the vehicle? 237 battalion 129 brigade aerial reconnaissance unit. https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain Donate and get: Pins. Everyone who contributes with €100 (~$110) or more will get a limited collection pin - THE INNOVATOR. This pin serves as a sign of Ukrainians' ingenuity in this fight. Custom branding: For €2,500 we will place your custom sticker on one side of a truck. It could be your logo, name, or maybe your country's flag. "Your truck" at the frontline: The average cost of an armored pickup we deploy to the frontline is €10,000. If you contribute with that amount all the custom branding options will be yours. Plus you'll receive a personalized reporting about the truck, where it ends up as well as some surprise gifts from us. About Car for Ukraine (as of November 30, 2024): - 510+ Vehicles Delivered to the Frontline, mainly armored pickups - 1,000,000+ Kilometers Covered Across Europe - €4,000,000 worth of vehicles delivered to the frontline https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain

Edition No77 | 08-01-2025 - When preparing this second part episode, I was going to go through the interview chronologically and respond to each part. But many YouTubers have already done this, and many of you will have seen the interview in its entirety already. So, this likely won’t be of great value. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Zelenskyy’s answers are for the most part superb and push back strongly against Russian disinformation narratives far better than I can. This is perhaps one of Zelenskyy’s most forceful and accessible interviews. In some ways it’s the naivety, and what could be described as ignorance of context on the part of Fridman, that triggers Zelenskyy into providing some of the most compelling answers ever given to Russian narratives and talking points, many of which have been adopted by the MAGA bubble as well as some in conservative political circles. Also, it must be said by the far Left, and those who have traditionally seen the Soviet Union as a template for an alternative society to capitalism and as an antidote to American imperialism. Both are deeply misguided, as Russia is a classic imperialist entity, perhaps one of the most brutal imperial powers in history, and not a template for any kind of civilisation that a reasonable person should aspire to live in or help build. ~/ /~/ /~/ /~/ /~ So, in this episode, I’m going to examine the Russian myths and propagandistic narratives that are the source for what seems to be much of Lex Fridman’s research. He claims at the end of the interview to have consumed many books on the history of Ukraine and Russia, it’s imperial domination of the region and the more recent history that led up to the full-scale war. But unfortunately, his choice of themes and the construction of his questions, suggest to me that his sources of information are weighted towards podcasts, memes and conversations within a bubble, rather than solid journalism and the writings of professional historians. There is a strong bias in Lex’s framing of topics and questions towards Russian inspired historical mythology and intentionally manufactured national myths, which seem to be a more potent source of inspiration for Lex in his choices, priorities and phraseology, than reliable sources. Here is a breakdown of nearly all Lex’s questions that spanned the three-hour interview, and how each correlate to a greater or lesser extent to common Russian narratives. Some of the topics of course are perfectly valid to bring up, and Russian propaganda rarely manufacturers issues from scratch. It leverages existing problems, pours petrol on the flames of real conflicts, and seeks to widen and weaponize existing divisions. But propaganda utilises these issues, and Lex has scored an almost complete bingo card of them. Again, I suspect that his intention is not to be propagandistic, but the framing of his questions, the language he uses, betrays a lack of depth and seriousness to his research, as well as a remarkable level of naivety about real-world politics. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u321m25rKXc ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava”...

Edition No76 | 07-01-2025 - An anchor belonging to the oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of being used to damage undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland, has been located and retrieved from the seabed. This follows the seizure by police in Finland of the Russian-linked dark fleet tanker Eagle S. This is the first time a ship suspected of sabotaging undersea infrastructure has been taken into custody by authorities, according to Estonia Prime Minister Kristen Michal. Estonia Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the damage to undersea infrastructure was not a coincidence. “They have become systematic, and we must consider them an attack on our infrastructure,” he said. The Finnish customs service believes the Eagle S is part of a shadow fleet of ageing tankers being used to evade sanctions on the sale of Russian oil. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Trucks under Christmas Tree https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for Silicon Curtain: € 10,000 to purchase 1 truck to save Ukrainian lives. ---------- Here are some interesting points about the seizure of the vessel, made by expert Robin Häggblom on Twitter last week. 1) Finnish Defence Forces involvement seems to have been limited. It was the Finnish Border Guard's flagship that shadowed the tanker and caught it in the act, According to Robin this was largely handled by the ministry of the Interior and Law Enforcement, rather than obvious military forces units. 2) The Police told a reporter they don't plan on contacting the Russian authorities. This was a strong and correct gesture of contempt for Russia and its actions. But Robin notes that it may also mark an end to the process of soft appeasement of Russia known as Finlandization, where the USSR and Russia was given special consideration compared to other states. 3) If the Russians have been foolish enough to use shadow fleet vessels as SIGINT platforms, for monitoring and intelligence operations, then we may expect must closer tracking of their grey fleet by NATO powers, and potentially more interventions. The shadow fleet-concept, notes Robin, rests on the right of innocent passage, while intelligence gathering specifically is mentioned as *not* being part of that under UNCLOS Article 19, 2. If there is reason to suspect innocent passage isn't adhered to, it can up new legal actions, which the Western allies have been loath to adopt until now. 4) The operation is typical for how Finland handles hybrid operations. Everything is done according to the book and within a clear legal framework. But the signalling around this operation appears to be unusually strong, which may be intended as a clear message to Russia. More of a show of force than was necessary may indicate that Finland and other countries’ patience with Russia’s illegal, aggressive and risky actions does have limits. More on this story in forthcoming episodes with experts Elizabeth Braw and Jerry Hendrix. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://yle.fi/a/74-20135216 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finland-court-rejects-owners-request-release-oil-tanker-2025-01-03/ https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1151950/Finland-police-seize-Russian-linked-dark-fleet-tanker-Eagle-S-in-cable-cutting-investigation ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------

SEE VIDEO ALSO AT: https://youtu.be/2EKB-pulmTU An Emotional Ukrainian - format with Lesia Dubenko - Episode 3 - 2025-01-06 The big interview between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Lex Fridman. ---------- Lesia Dubenko is a Ukrainian journalist and analyst featured in the Financial Times, Politico Europe, New Eastern Europe, Washington Times, and more. She’s currently affiliated with Ukraine’s media outlet Euromaidan Press. You can follow her on Substack for a dose of good and satirical commentary https://lesiadubenko.substack.com ---------- LINKS https://x.com/lesialvd https://lesiadubenko.substack.com/ https://archive.kyivpost.com/author/lesia-dubenko https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesiadubenko/ https://euromaidanpress.com/author/lesiadubenko/ ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Edition No75 | 06-01-2025 - Lex Fridman is in the enviable position to interview some of the world’s leading writers, thinkers, scientists and politicians. Some have accused him of peddling ‘low quality’ and superficial content, but that cannot be true of all his video, given the calibre of some of his guests. And this interview with Zelenskyy that has just come out is one of his best. And it’s not because of the quality of Fridman’s questions. His precision, erudition and wit. Sometimes it’s the reverse, when the simplistic or naïve assumptions behind his questions irked or irritated Zelenskyy, it elicited some of the President’s clearest and best responses. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Trucks under Christmas Tree https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for Silicon Curtain: € 10,000 to purchase 1 truck to save Ukrainian lives. ---------- This is important, because the interview was not for Ukrainians, for activists or the pro-Ukraine bubble. It was meant for people that may have no regard for Zelenskyy or Ukraine, may be indifferent to its plight, or who may even have been influenced by Russian talking points, and have an active antipathy towards Ukraine’s leadership. If the interview reached these people, and broke down some myths and preconceptions then it will have been worth it. If the interview succeeds in humanising Zelensky and Ukraine for people, then it can be considered a success. If the interview undermines the propagandistic narrative that Putin really wants peace, but is being obstructed by Ukraine, then it will have strategic importance ahead of Trump’s inauguration, and the negotiation process that he clearly wants to initiate. If Trump’s supporters move away from the idea of peace through capitulation, to peace through strength, then this interview will have served a very important purpose. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u321m25rKXc ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Edition No74 | 05-01-2025 - Ukraine has launched a new offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Early reports on its success are incomplete and mixed. Much of the detail is coming from the Russian Z-blogger community and therefore needs to be view as potentially unreliable. This has not stopped the first media headlines reporting on Ukraine’s surprise counterattack in Kursk today from leading with the reactions of the Russian voices and incorporating their phraseology into article headlines. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Trucks under Christmas Tree https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for Silicon Curtain: € 10,000 to purchase 1 truck to save Ukrainian lives. ---------- ‘Last ditch attempt’ to catch Russia off guard, and ‘last chance’ to take back land, scream the headlines, directly reflecting quotes from Z-bloggers. But both statements involve massive assumptions, and indeed reflect Russian interests, rather than reality. There’s no way to tell how many new offensives or counter-offensives Ukraine has the resources for, or will have in 3 months’ time, 6 months’ time, etc. Throughout the war, it’s served the interests of Russia to reinforce the myth that it cannot be beaten, that a Russian victory is inevitable, that ever setback for Ukraine is de facto a catastrophe, and every catastrophe for Russia is of no consequence. And many in the media have duly complied, in their use of both explicit and implicit language, to add to this strategic mythology of Russian invincibility, their capacity to apparently tolerate any hardship, and their infinite resources. None of this is of course true. Phrases such as ‘bold’ and ‘surprising’ could equally be applied to the situation, but it seems there is a reflexive bias in the minds of some journalists and policymakers, to automatically position Ukraine as a victim, incapable of achieving victories, and underplay their successes. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/05/ukraine-launches-surprise-operation-in-kursk-region-according-to-reports https://www.vietnam.vn/en/tong-thong-ukraine-thong-bao-ton-that-nang-ne-cua-quan-doi-nga-va-trieu-tien-o-kursk/ https://www.politico.eu/article/hundreds-north-korea-troops-dead-kursk-ukraine-war/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14250611/Putins-forces-slaughtered-attack-Kursk-village.html https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-kursk-losses-2008486 https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/01/05/ukrainian-forces-launch-attacks-in-multiple-directions-in-russias-kursk-oblast-officials-say/ https://kyivindependent.com/russia-claims-2/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Edition No73 | 04-01-2025 - Is the stopping of gas transit via Ukraine 'One of Moscow's biggest defeats'? That is what Zelensky is claiming, as Ukraine terminated Russian natural gas transit on 1st Jan. 2025. Kyiv has repeatedly warned it would not extend the agreement to allow Russian natural gas to transit through its territory to Europe, and indeed the expiry of that agreement was a natural point for Ukraine to make good on its threats. It’s remarkable in fact that this gas transit has continues for 3 years of the full-scale war, given how important gas has been in the financing of Russia's war. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Trucks under Christmas Tree https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for Silicon Curtain: € 10,000 to purchase 1 truck to save Ukrainian lives. ---------- "When Putin was handed power in Russia over 25 years ago, the annual gas pumping through Ukraine to Europe stood at over 130 billion cubic meters. Today, the transit of Russian gas is 0. This is one of Moscow's biggest defeats," Zelensky said. "Turning energy into a weapon and cynical energy blackmail of partners is what deprived Russia of its most attractive and geographically accessible market." Zelensky has suggested that three years is a long enough period for European countries to adapt to the termination of Russian gas supplies. For some countries it’s been easier than others, and some have been more proactive in weaning themselves off Russia gas. Zelensky also suggested that having a greater diversity of suppliers and partners could increase competition in the market and help to drive down prices. "The more gas from Europe's true partners is available on the market, the sooner the last negative consequences of European energy dependence on Russia will be overcome," Zelensky said. With a degree of sarcasm, he added “it will be necessary to withstand the hysteria of some European politicians who prefer mafia schemes with Moscow to transparent energy policy." Two examples of leaders that prefer to maintain so-called ‘mafia relations’ with Russia, are Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, and Slovak counterpart Robert Fico. As the most vocal opponents of Ukraine's decision to stop Russian gas transit, they have also shown a willingness to also pay homage at the court of the killer Tsar in the Kremlin, despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are the main promoters of pro-Russian narratives in Europe. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/01/breakaway-moldovan-region-cuts-heating-and-hot-water-as-russia-stops-gas-flow https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-gas-pipeline-ukraine-gazprom-b2673631.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/02/moldovan-region-transnistria-shuts-down-its-industries-after-loss-of-russian-gas https://kyivindependent.com/slovak-state-energy-company-to-continue-to-supply-electricity-to-ukraine-despite-ficos-threats/ https://kyivindependent.com/one-of-moscows-biggest-defeats-zelensky-on-stopping-russian-gas-transit-via-ukraine/ https://kyivindependent.com/transnistria-rejects-offer-to-buy-gas-from-europe-expects-russia-to-resume-supplies/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------

Edition No72 | 02-01-2025 - Vladimir Putin summed up the results of the year and answered questions from journalists and the people of Russia in a live broadcast. December 19, 2024 "We have already received over 2.2 million questions, including 1.2 million via telephone, about 43,000 via SMS messages, and over 140,000 via the website. We can see that the number of questions is increasing in real time." ---------- Trucks under Christmas Tree https://donorbox.org/trucks-under-christmas-tree/fundraiser/silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for Silicon Curtain: € 10,000 to purchase 1 truck to save Ukrainian lives. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Anna Suvorova: Before we start taking questions from our people and our colleagues, journalists, I would like to ask the first general question. In recent time, everyone has been feeling a disturbing sense that the world is going crazy, or already has, because the potential for conflict is off the charts in every part of the world, and the global economy is struggling. How does Russia manage not only to stay afloat, but also to continue growing in this situation? Vladimir Putin: You know, when all is calm and life is measured and stable, we get bored. This amounts to stagnation, so we crave action. When action begins, time starts whistling by – or bullets do, for that matter. Unfortunately, bullets are what is zipping past our heads these days. We are scared, yes – but not as “all get out” kind of scared. Our economics are the ultimate measure of things. As is traditional, I will start with the economy. Although your question was a bit provocative, I will turn to the economy anyway. The economy is number one; it is the cornerstone. It has an impact on living standards, general stability, and the country’s defence capability. The economy is everything. The economic situation in Russia is generally positive and stable. We are growing in spite of everything, in spite of any external threats or attempts at outside influence. What this means is that our economy will have grown by eight percent over the past two years. After all, the tenths and hundredths of a percent make for a negligeable difference. This is what experts have been telling me – we exchanged views this very morning. About eight percent over the past two years, compared to a growth rate between five and six percent for the United States, one percent for the Eurozone, and zero for Germany, the EU’s leading economy. It seems that next year that country will also have zero growth. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: http://www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/75909 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Edition No71 | 01-01-2025 - As the slide toward dictatorship in Georgia accelerates, this episode will review the mechanics of law that mark an increasingly repressive and desperate regime. As we’ve examined in previous episodes, the Georgia Dream party has now ripped off the mask and shed any last vestige of ambiguity they are a Kremlin proxy party that is intent on deconstructing Georgia’s fragile democracy and subverting institutions that have been evolving since independence to bring rule of law and civic liberties to society. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Here is a summary of the laws brough in, posted on X by the excellent Anna Gvarishvili, who has been a recent guest on this channel. The following restrictions have bene rushed into law, and will take effect on Dec. 30: 1. Drivers joining protests with processions: If police determine such actions obstruct traffic, drivers will be fined 1,000 Lari and have driving license suspended for a year. 2. Unauthorized protest stencils/signs/posters: Fines for damaging the city’s appearance have been increased from 50 Lari to up to 1,000 Lari. 3. Blocking roads during protests: can lead to a fine on each person of 5,000 Lari (a 10-fold increase in the fine for this offence). Those deemed to be organizers, can face fines of 15,000 Lari. This rule also applies to violations under Georgia’s “Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations,” including blocking building entrances. Instead of a fine, administrative detention of up to 15 days can also be imposed. 4. Presence of pyrotechnics at protests: Regardless of whether they are used, individuals will be fined 5,000 Lari. If this is deemed an organized act, the organizer may face a fine of 15,000 Lari. Administrative detention of up to 15 days may also be applied instead of a fine. 5. Possession of laser or bright light-emitting devices: 2,000 Lari fine. 6. Covering one’s face with masks or other means: This will result in a 2,000 Lari fine. 7. Minors at protests: If a minor is deemed to have violated Article 173 (disobedience to lawful police demands), their parents will be fined for improper upbringing, with fines ranging from 100 to 300 Lari. This is the one that triggered the title of this episode, and it has sinister connotations of the pre-crime detection unit in the Sci-Fi book, Minority Report. 8. Preventive detention: Police can now detain individuals preventively, assuming they may commit an offense based on prior violations. 9. Detention for court appearance: Police can detain individuals solely to ensure their appearance in court, even if they do not refuse to attend voluntarily. This provision allows police to detain someone even if no case has yet been filed in court. 10. Expanded grounds for personal and property searches: Personal searches, inspections of items, and confiscation of belongings and documents are now permitted under these same grounds. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://oc-media.org/from-fireworks-to-the-public-sector-georgian-dream-introduces-new-legislation-amid-protests/ https://oc-media.org/us-sanctions-bidzina-ivanishvili/ https://eurasianet.org/georgia-government-set-to-pass-laws-bolstering-police-state https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-georgian-officials-responsible-for-brutal-crackdown-on-media-and-protestors https://civil.ge/archives/645520 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk01xyd22eo https://oc-media.org/when-we-get-in-the-minibus-the-fun-will-start-how-georgian-police-torture-detained-protesters/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/27/lets-see-who-will-be-leaving-georgias-presidential-standoff-nears-crunch-point ----------

✅ Go to RFU News to stay fully informed. Subscribe through my link and get 40% off unlimited access this week only: https://www.rfunews.com/christmas-sale?_from=sc ---------- See more Fog of War episodes on iWi channel - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhNpgKn-obmUmSjv8GJsVFgssVNh4YS8v ---------- In this episode of Fog of War, co-hosts Jonathan Fink and Yaroslava Bukhta discuss the experience of recording episodes in 2024, and the lessons learned from our expert guests. In this episode, we explore: 🔹 The importance of local context in reporting the war in Ukraine. 🔹 Favorite episodes and insights from episodes 1-5 of The Fog of War. 🔹 Aspirations for developing the format in 2025. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on new episodes! ---------- 🎧 Follow us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xj9aEHBbqc3VfH7mayJWB ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fog-of-war/id1782306981 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fog_of_war_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fogofwarpodcast/ ---------- View Yaroslava’s profile Yaroslava Bukhta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslava-bukhta/ https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/people/yaroslava-bukhta https://www.ukrainer.net/authors/yaroslava-bukhta-2/ https://x.com/yaroslavabukhta https://www.facebook.com/yaroslava.bukhta/ ----------

✅ Go to RFU News to stay fully informed. Subscribe through my link and get 40% off unlimited access this week only: https://www.rfunews.com/christmas-sale?_from=sc ---------- GUEST: Anders Puck Nielsen - YouTuber and military analyst. Today I’m speaking with Anders Puck Nielsen, military analyst and influential YouTuber based in Denmark. He specialises in naval warfare and strategy; in today’s video we are going to be talking about Ukrainian successes against Russia’s Black Sea fleet and state of the ground war in Ukraine. ---------- LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/@anderspuck https://twitter.com/anderspuck https://www.linkedin.com/in/anderspucknielsen/ https://apnielsen.info/en/frontpage/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of Fog of War, co-hosts Jonathan Fink and Yaroslava Bukhta sit down with Valeriia Voshchevska, a Ukrainian human rights activist and digital strategist working with UNITED24.Media and several other impactful projects. Valeriia, formerly the Global Head of Digital Engagement at Amnesty International, brings her expertise in communications and activism to the conversation. Valeriia shares her work on the intersection of communications, activism, and environmental movements. She talks about her recent project with the Ukraine Solidarity Project, which highlighted how Russian warfare is being funded through a shadow fleet of oil tankers passing near the EU. Valeriia also discusses the digital campaign that successfully pushed Unilever to sell its business in Russia. In this episode, we explore: 🔹 Why communications strategists need to look beyond just the audience and focus on the bigger picture. 🔹 The interconnectedness of the war in Ukraine, global environmental concerns, and activism. 🔹 Ukraine’s external communication strategy and the importance of crafting a message that resonates with a global audience. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that connects the dots between activism, war, and strategic communication. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on new episodes! ---------- 🎧 Follow us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xj9aEHBbqc3VfH7mayJWB ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fog-of-war/id1782306981 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fog_of_war_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fogofwarpodcast/ ---------- View Yaroslava’s profile Yaroslava Bukhta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslava-bukhta/ https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/people/yaroslava-bukhta https://www.ukrainer.net/authors/yaroslava-bukhta-2/ https://x.com/yaroslavabukhta https://www.facebook.com/yaroslava.bukhta/ ----------

Edition No70 | 27-12-2024 - It’s a tragedy that politicians can’t seem to act on warnings alone, and the public can’t be moved to outrage, passion or action by an impending disaster or crime. Last week we had a case in point where it’s the images of thick, viscous oil washing up on the Black Sea coast. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Stricken oil tankers show the risks of Russia's ageing 'shadow fleet', which it uses to bypass sanctions. Although the vessel that split apart was covered by Russian insurer VSK, it’s doubtful whether the costs of the cleanup operations will be covered. The full scale of the various incidents, as well as their long-term impact on the environment are so far unknown. One crew member was killed after the Volgoneft 212 split in half, with 12 rescued, while authorities said all 14 crew aboard the Volgoneft 239, which ran aground 80 metres from the shore near the port of Taman, were also rescued. Russian authorities sought to limit the damage from oil spilled into the Kerch Strait by two ageing tankers that were damaged during a heavy weekend storm – though part of the campaign was informational, seeking to deny the seriousness, and not only focused on the physical clean-up. The ships are on average more than 50-year-old, and were carrying some 9,200 metric tons (62,000 barrels) of oil products in total. Volgoneft 212 was constructed in 1969 and Volgoneft 239 in 1973. The spill is likely to become one of the largest environmental disasters to affect the region in recent years. The Kerch Strait, which separates mainland Russia from the Moscow-annexed Crimea region, is a key route for exports of its grain and fuel products. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3939182-estonian-pm-names-two-options-facing-russian-shadow-fleet-vessels-caught-without-insurance.html https://www.ft.com/content/8a485a6b-477e-4087-83f4-eca357082d71 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-tankers-damaged-kerch-strait-were-carrying-62000-barrels-oil-products-2024-12-16/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/16/ukraine-calls-for-sanctions-against-russia-oil-tankers-over-black-sea-spill https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/12/16/russian-tankers-caught-in-storm-may-have-leaked-3k-tons-of-oil-products-state-media-a87359 https://kyivindependent.com/sinking-of-two-russian-oil-tankers-may-cause-significant-environmental-impacts-greenpeace-warns/ https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-shadow-dark-oil-tankers-sanctions-navy-warships-escort-2024-12 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

Edition No69 | 26-12-2024 - What is Christmas like, when your neighbour is a terrorist state, run without challenge or hindrance by a delusional imperialist and pervert, hooked on aggression and suffering? Russia launched a massive Christmas day attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and civilian residential targets in numerous cities, leaving more than half a million people without heating, water and electricity. Temperatures across Ukraine are around freezing point. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Zelenskyy, President of Ukrainian spoke with direct moral clarity when he condemned the attack as ‘inhuman’. This was the 13th large-scale assault in 2024, on the energy grid of Ukraine, in what Zelenskyy said was a deliberate series of strikes. “This was not a coincidence. What could be more inhuman?” He wrote on X. But it’s also entirely predictable. Putin always lashes out after press conferences, or visits to his court by foreign dignitaries, and of course, special dates such as Christmas hold a special fascination for his perverse mind. Attacks at Christmas and New Year as well as on significant anniversaries are entirely predictable, as is Russia’s raging desire to instil fear in its enemies, and those it seeks to control and plunder. About 50 of the 70 missiles fired were intercepted, as well as a ‘significant’ number of more than 100 attack drones launched by Russia, on this, the celebration of Christ’s birth. Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region, explained that the attack had left more than 500,000 people without heating, water and electricity at Christmas. Russia is not just a terrorist state, but also, it’s claims to be Christian one is barely plausible, given its actions of the last three years, and the genocidal character of its regime, which is enthusiastically supported and sanctified by the Moscow Patriarch, and former KGB agent. President Joe Biden said in a statement “The Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety, and the United States and the international community must continue to stand with Ukraine until it triumphs over Russia’s aggression.” Biden also reaffirmed his instruction to the Department of Defence “to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine”. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.ft.com/content/b7b2c8d9-8eed-4620-adfe-a99e696a1dd4 https://kyivindependent.com/russia-terrorizes-ukraine-with-mass-missile-drone-attack-on-christmas-morning/ https://kyivindependent.com/the-west-is-pushing-ukraine-toward-concessions-that-will-backfire/ https://kyivindependent.com/kellogg-condemns-russias-mass-attack-against-ukraine-on-christmas-day/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------

An alternative Christmas message from your favourite Ukrainian. ---------- 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. ---------- LINKS: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/annafromukraine My interview with Anna in Lviv - hosted on her excellent channel- https://youtu.be/daHcnsNQ1S0?si=yHbZ2kJZ3CTVRd8Z ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER - A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- OTHER VIDEOS WITH ANNA ON SILICON CURTAIN: 14. https://youtu.be/EZRULDT06_k (13-Nov-24) 13. https://youtu.be/GU4R5mcubIE (19-Sep-27) 12. https://youtu.be/APTdfyqnyAI (15-Aug-24) 11. https://youtu.be/xUsxXcc97m8 (03-Jun-24) 10. https://youtu.be/eQ5fJCFATM0 (18-Apr-24) 9. https://youtu.be/Y59nUd8B5pY (21-Feb-24) 8. https://youtu.be/J8mge30rxY8 (24-Jan-24) 7. https://youtu.be/XQJoTAAfxt4 (24-Dec-23) 6. https://youtu.be/0gaK_5TEXXw (28-Nov-23) 5. https://youtu.be/x0o1bn-1Yyc (29-Sep-23) 4. https://youtu.be/Hm5_Yb3geQ4 (30-Aug-23) 3. https://youtu.be/r0PNxM7Xyow (23-Feb-23) 2. https://youtu.be/5AenntkSxIs (31-Dec-22) 1. https://youtu.be/vPT6oZ1FOAw (21-Oct-22) ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.