Silicon Curtain

Jonathan Fink

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/siliconcurtain/subscribe A podcast about propaganda, digital disinformation, politics, corruption, hybrid warfare, weaponised conspiracy theories, social echo chambers and digital dystopias. 1984, Authoritarian, Autocracy, Autocrat, Big Brother, Brainwashing, Cold war, Cold war propaganda, Communism, Conflict, Conspiracy theories, Control, Cults, Cyber warfare, Deception, Dictator, Dictatorship, Digital dystopia, Digital media, Disinformation, Echo chambers, Economic sanctions, Fascist, Fake news, Foreign correspondents, Foreign policy, Fossil fuel sanctions, George Orwell, History, Hybrid warfare, Industrial disinfo

  1. How Russia IMMEDIATELY Violated the Easter Ceasefire - Putin Addicted to Killing!

    2 HR AGO

    How Russia IMMEDIATELY Violated the Easter Ceasefire - Putin Addicted to Killing!

    2026-04-18 | UPDATES #176 | Easter lies, fratricide on the front line, and 667 reasons Ukraine’s air defences are the best in the world. On Easter Saturday, Vladimir Putin declared a thirty-two-hour ceasefire. A humanitarian gesture, the Kremlin called it. The truce would begin at 4pm Moscow time and last through Orthodox Easter Sunday. There is a pattern to Moscow’s announcements – major defeats are always labelled as humanitarian gestures.By 7am the next morning, Russia had violated its own ceasefire two thousand, two hundred and ninety-nine times. Twenty-eight assault operations. Four hundred and seventy-nine shelling fires on Ukrainian positions. Seven hundred and forty-seven kamikaze drone strikes. One thousand and forty-five FPV drone attacks. Near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk, Russian forces used first-person-view drones to attack unarmed Russian soldiers who were being evacuated from the front line during the supposed truce. They killed three of their own men. Then, four days later — on April 16th — Russia launched its most devastating aerial attack of 2026. Nearly seven hundred drones. Dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles. Sixteen dead, including a twelve-year-old boy in Kyiv. Over a hundred wounded. A drone slammed directly into an eighteen-storey residential building. Easter peace. Russian style. We're talking about a pattern of deception that stretches back more than a decade — and a Ukrainian air defence network that just shot down ninety-five percent of everything Russia threw at it.----------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: Al Jazeera — "Russia and Ukraine agree to 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire" (April 10, 2026)Al Jazeera — "Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of breaching Easter ceasefire" (April 12, 2026)Euronews — "Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of breaching 36-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire" (April 12, 2026) Euronews — "Ukraine and Russia exchange prisoners ahead of Orthodox Easter ceasefire" (April 11, 2026) PBS News — "Orthodox Easter ceasefire falters as Ukraine says Russia continues drone strikes" (April 12, 2026) PBS News — "Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of Easter ceasefire violations" (April 12, 2026) ----------

    19 min
  2. 1037. Trump is NOT a Friend to Ukraine - and Still Views Russia as STRONG and Ukraine as WEAK!

    3 HR AGO

    1037. Trump is NOT a Friend to Ukraine - and Still Views Russia as STRONG and Ukraine as WEAK!

    Lev Parnas is a Soviet-born American businessman and former associate of Rudy Giuliani. Parnas, Giuliani, Igor Fruman, John Solomon, Yuriy Lutsenko, Dmytro Firtash and his allies, Victoria Toensing and Joe diGenova, were involved in creating the false Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory, which was part of the Trump–Ukraine scandal's efforts to damage Joe Biden. As president, Donald Trump said he did not know Parnas nor what he was involved in; Parnas insisted Trump "knew exactly what was going on". In October 2021, Parnas was found guilty in U.S. Federal Court on six counts related to illegal donations to the 2020 campaign of Donald Trump. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $2,322,500 in restitution on June 29, 2022. In early March 2026, Parnas announced his candidacy for the Florida 27th district seat in the 2026 election. ----------LINKS:https://levparnas.org/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Parnashttps://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/parnas-adventures-in-magalandhttps://www.c-span.org/video/?c5110982/lev-parnas-testifies-coordinated-effort-falsely-accuse-biden-familyhttps://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Parnas-Lev-Written-Statement.pdf----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------DESCRIPTION:In a livestream tied to a Ukraine fundraiser, Lev Parnas explains why he is running for Congress in Florida’s 27th District, saying he wants to create change beyond social media and challenge Democratic establishment leadership. Drawing on his role as a former gatekeeper between Trump and Giuliani and his experience in “shadow diplomacy,” he argues Trump is not a friend to Ukraine and is driven primarily by money and power, viewing Russia as strong and Ukraine as weak, with future profit motives tied to rebuilding resources coordinated with Russian interests. Parnas criticizes Michael Cohen and Michael Wolff as unreliable and calls Anthony Scaramucci the most credible of the three discussed. The group discusses decades of Russian oligarch money and influence in Western real estate and politics, propaganda shaping US attitudes toward Ukraine, and Putin’s relationships with other leaders. ----------

    38 min
  3. Putin's ULTIMATUM and Vance's Hollow Soul - Hands off Donbas Says Zelenskyy!

    3 HR AGO

    Putin's ULTIMATUM and Vance's Hollow Soul - Hands off Donbas Says Zelenskyy!

    Silicon Bites Ep319 | 2026-04-17 | Russia's Donbas ultimatum, America’s contradictions, and why JD Vance doesn't know what he's talking about. How do I know? On April 8th, from Budapest — standing alongside Viktor Orbán — JD Vance looked into a camera and said this: "We're talking about haggling at this point over a few square kilometres of territory in one direction or another. Is that worth losing hundreds of thousands of additional Russian and Ukrainian young men?"A few square kilometres. That's the Vice President of the United States describing the fate of millions of Ukrainian citizens, a fortified defensive belt holding back a Russian army of 680,000, and territory that — if surrendered — would give Moscow a launchpad for the next phase of its invasion.Two days later, Zelenskyy responded. "The Vice President, with all due respect, does not take part in the negotiations. If he were involved, he would probably have a deeper understanding of what Ukrainian territory actually is."----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Russia sets yet another Donbas capture deadline while demanding Ukraine withdraw without fighting, HUR says" (April 17, 2026) Kyiv Post — "Moscow Gears Up for New Offensive, Eyes Total Donbas Control by September – HUR" (April 17, 2026)Rubryka — "Russia prepares spring-summer offensive and aims to seize Donbas by autumn – Ukraine's intelligence" (April 17, 2026) Ostro Info / Hromadske — "Russia intends to carry out a summer offensive and capture Donbas by September" (April 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Russia Gives Ukraine Two-Month Deadline to Leave Donbas, Zelenskyy Says" (March 31, 2026) Al Jazeera — "Russia claims to take full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region" (April 1, 2026) CFR Global Conflict Tracker — "War in Ukraine" (updated April 2026) RFE/RL — "Rubio Accuses Zelenskyy Of Lying About US Position On Bid To End Russia's War" (March 27, 2026) Kyiv Independent — "'That's a lie' — Rubio dismisses Zelensky's claims US security guarantees tied to withdrawal from Donbas" (March 27, 2026)Kyiv Independent — "Zelensky responds to Rubio's accusation of lying" (March 28, 2026)Euronews — "Rubio slams Zelenskyy's Donbas comments and says US may divert Ukraine arms to Iran" (March 27, 2026)The Irish Times — "'That's a lie': Rubio denies Zelenskiy claim US is demanding Kyiv give up eastern Donbas" (March 28, 2026) Kyiv Post — "Rubio Rejects Zelensky's Claim That US Linked Security Guarantees to Ukraine's Withdrawal From Donbas" (March 27, 2026) ----------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----------

    16 min
  4. "We Are in TROUBLE and Time is Running Out!" - Elites TURN on Putin!

    1 DAY AGO

    "We Are in TROUBLE and Time is Running Out!" - Elites TURN on Putin!

    2026-04-17 | UPDATES #175 | The economic forum where Russia’s own political and economic scientists said the quiet part out loud. It’s not good news for Putin. Last week, something extraordinary happened in Moscow. In a conference centre in the middle of the capital, at an event the authorities have tolerated for a decade — the Moscow Economic Forum. Tolerated why? Because the regime needs some feedback mechanisms to help shape policy, needs a way to monitor the dissent from its policy course from the professional classes (not political dissenters, these are not tolerated), and because they know these people will never openly turn on the regime. But something has changed. The sense of doom, angst and despair has grown, and the frustration with Putin’s choices on the economy, on funding the war, are bubbling to the surface. The Elites are distancing themselves from Putin’s policies and starting to peel away from him as a figure – but don’t expect that to translate into a political revolution. It won’t. ----------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: BIZNES Online — "We are heading for trouble — a double-digit economic decline: rescue recipes from MEF" (Мы идем к беде – двузначному падению экономики: рецепты спасения от МЭФ) (April 2026) Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP.RU) — "At MEF-2026, they called for urgent repair of the Russian economy" (На МЭФ-2026 призвали срочно начать ремонт российской экономики) (April 13, 2026) Svoye Delo Plus — "We are in trouble and running late: Academician Robert Nigmatulin delivers sharp criticism of economic management" (April 15, 2026)Infokam — "Academician Robert Nigmatulin calls for saving Russia" (April 2026)REPOST News — "Academician Nigmatulin forecasts double-digit economic decline" (April 10, 2026) MEF official site — Plenary I: "From cooling to development" (April 2026) MEF official site — Programme and agenda (April 7–8, 2026) Pravda Germany / PolitNavigator — "At the Moscow Economic Forum, they argued about the desire of young people to work" (April 9, 2026) PRIME / RIA — MEF-2026 preview and participant list (April 7, 2026) ----------

    19 min
  5. Three Experts SPEAK OUT - Britain Cannot be Defended - Dangerous Complacency!

    1 DAY AGO

    Three Experts SPEAK OUT - Britain Cannot be Defended - Dangerous Complacency!

    Silicon Bites Ep318 | 2026-04-16 | The people who wrote Britain’s latest strategic defence plan just turned on the government that commissioned it. The dam of consensus broke at the Guildhall in Salisbury. A former NATO Secretary General — a man Sir Keir Starmer personally appointed to write Britain's blueprint for national defence — walked to a lectern, looked out at the room, and said:"We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe. Britain's national security and safety is in peril."That man is Lord George Robertson. Former Labour defence secretary. Former head of the most powerful military alliance on Earth. And the person who, alongside Fiona Hill and General Sir Richard Barrons, delivered the government's own Strategic Defence Review just ten months ago. They gave Starmer sixty-two recommendations. He accepted all of them. He promised to deliver them at — these were his words — "wartime pace." But then failed to deliver change at that speed or scale.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:Sky News — "'Corrosive complacency' – Lord Robertson tears into Starmer and Reeves in extraordinary intervention on defence spending" (15 April 2026) Global Defense Corp — "Welfare payments chewed the defence budget. 'Corrosive complacency' towards British national security, Lord Robertson says" (16 April 2026)BritBrief — "Ex-Labour defence chiefs demand welfare cuts to fund military spending, warning security is 'in peril'" (14 April 2026) BritBrief — "Starmer rejects ex-NATO chief's warning that UK security is 'in peril'" (15 April 2026)GBNews — "Keir Starmer hits back at ex-Nato chief after attack on Labour's defence plans" (14 April 2026) Forces News — "Lord Robertson's critique on defence gives voice to AF community who can't speak out" (14 April 2026) The Independent / AOL — "Reeves digs heels in over defence boost despite fears UK security is 'in peril'" (14 April 2026) WSWS — "Labour peer George Robertson demands UK welfare spending cull to fund 'warfighting readiness'" (15 April 2026) ----------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----------

    17 min
  6. Russian Economy is Wrecked - Putin Demands Answers (Though he is the Cause)

    1 DAY AGO

    Russian Economy is Wrecked - Putin Demands Answers (Though he is the Cause)

    2026-04-16 | UPDATES #174 | Putin's wrecked economy – the grandfather in the Kremlin and the elite who want him gone. Yesterday, in a Kremlin meeting room, Vladimir Putin looked across a table at his own ministers and Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina — and demanded that they explain to him, in plain Russian, why the economy he built, the war machine he fuelled, the "fortress" he promised, is cracking under his feet. Maybe he is not recognising the full extent of the problem – maybe he is not being told the full extent of the problem – but he is starting to acknowledge that there is a problem. The source of the problem is of course his disastrous war, his kleptocratic regime, global ambitions – but none of these will be admitted to. ----------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: The Moscow Times — "Putin Demands Answers as Russia's Economy Undershoots Expectations" (April 15, 2026) Bloomberg — "Putin Orders Officials to Explain Russia's Economic Slowdown as GDP Falls" (April 15, 2026)Meduza — "Putin says Russia's GDP contraction in first 2 months of year is due to seasonal factors" (April 15, 2026) Xinhua / Free Malaysia Today — "Putin sounds alarm over Russia's slowing economy" (April 15, 2026) EADaily / Bloomberg report — "In Russia, they decided not to jam Telegram because of the fall in Putin's rating" (April 14, 2026) The Moscow Times — "Russia's Civilian Industry Downturn Accelerated in Early 2026" (March 30, 2026) Euromaidan Press — "Moscow booms as Russia's provinces collapse under war costs" (January 13, 2026) UNITED24 Media — "Why Major Russian Factories Are Shifting to Three-Day Workweeks" (April 2026)NV (New Voice of Ukraine) — "Russia's GDP shrinks 1.8% as 22 industries slide into decline" (April 2026) RBC Ukraine — "Crisis deepens in Russia's auto sector as KAMAZ trims workweek and AvtoVAZ shuts down line" (April 2026) The Moscow Times — "Russia's Rusal to Shutter Major Silicon Plant as Industry Cuts Deepen" (November 17, 2025) Militarnyi — "Russian Tank-Building Uralvagonzavod Announced Large-Scale Layoffs" (November 7, 2025) World Socialist Web Site — "Russia: Mass layoffs, strikes amid expanding war" (March 30, 2026) ----------

    17 min
  7. Russia's Gold is GONE! Why is Putin selling it now?

    2 DAYS AGO

    Russia's Gold is GONE! Why is Putin selling it now?

    Silicon Bites Ep317 | 2026-04-15 | Russia’s gold reserves are going, going, gone. The kremlin starts eating its war chest. For the first time in nearly a quarter century, Vladimir Putin is selling Russia's gold. Not lending it. Not shuffling it from one Kremlin pocket to another. Selling it. On the open market. To pay for a war he cannot win and cannot stop.Here is what just happened, confirmed by The Moscow Times on March 24th and corroborated by the World Gold Council, Euromaidan Press, and Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service. In January, the Central Bank of Russia liquidated 300,000 troy ounces of physical gold. In February, another 200,000. Roughly fourteen metric tons in two months — the largest bullion drawdown since the second quarter of 2002. Russia's total gold reserves have collapsed to 74.3 million ounces, the lowest level since March 2022 — the month the full-scale invasion began.And the bigger picture is uglier still. According to Russia's own Ministry of Finance data reviewed by The Moscow Times, the gold held in the National Wealth Fund — the sovereign rainy-day pot — has been slashed by 71 percent since May 2022. From 554.9 tons down to roughly 160. Three quarters of the war chest. Gone.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SOURCES:The Moscow Times, "Russia's Gold Sales Hit Highest Level Since 2002 as Budget Pressures Mount," March 23, 2026United24 Media, "Russian Central Bank Drains Gold For the First Time Since 2002 as War Deficit Mounts," March 2026 United24 Media, "Russia Liquidates 71% of Its Gold Reserves to Finance War Effort," January 21, 2026 Euromaidan Press, "Gold down 27%, Urals up 71% — Russia's sanctions hedge melts as its oil budget fills," March 24, 2026 UAWire, "Russia sells gold reserves for first time in 25 years to cover budget deficit," March 2026 NV / The New Voice of Ukraine, "Russia sells gold reserves for first time in 25 years to cover budget gap," March 2026The Gold Forecast / Kitco News, "Russian restrictions on gold could exacerbate selloff," March 25, 2026 Arabic Trader, "Russia bans the export of heavy gold bars starting from this date" (Putin decree, TASS), March 2026 ----------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----------

    9 min
  8. "Get Ukraine Out of the Way!" Mask Ripped off to Reveal Moral Void of J. D. Vance

    2 DAYS AGO

    "Get Ukraine Out of the Way!" Mask Ripped off to Reveal Moral Void of J. D. Vance

    2026-04-15 | UPDATES #173 | This was the plan all along. Get Ukraine out of the way one way or another. If Biden’s administration (and those that preceded it) treated Ukraine as a second-tier ally and Russia as a peer adversary, then Trump’s administration has flipped the script. In their perception, Ukraine is a third or forth tier country, and barely a partner at all, whereas Russia has become a prospective ally, trading partner and a power whose vision of the world is in alignment with that of the U.S. The cover story is a that Russia shares common, conservative and traditional values, but the subtext is that Russia aspires to imperial regional hegemony, with an informal view of power relations built on transaction, coercion and the idea that might makes right. This is a world that Trump empathises with, and in which he aspires to become a player in.But as ever, he has backed a loser and invested his political capital in a losing idea. Trump and Co. constantly overestimate Russia’s strength and fail to see how brittle and weak it has become. They also have a contempt for Ukraine that blinds them to how strong it has become, and how much stronger it could get, in the wake of a defeat of Russia in Ukraine and self-ejection of the U.S. from the security and defence architecture of Europe. ----------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: VSquare investigation, Kremlin Hotline: How Hungary Coordinates With Russia Blocking Ukraine From the EU (published April 8, 2026). Reuters, Key quotes from Vance and Orban's news conference (April 7, 2026). Reuters, Hungary vote removes Ukraine's staunchest foe in EU (April 13, 2026). Reuters, Trump tells ABC News reporter he was not concerned about Orban's loss in Hungary (April 15, 2026). Reuters, NATO on track to fund Ukraine defence aid despite burden-sharing gaps, Rutte says (April 15, 2026). Reuters, Ukraine retakes 50 sq km of territory in March, army chief says (April 15, 2026).Reuters, Russia launches more than 300 drones, missiles at Ukraine overnight (April 15, 2026).Reuters, Ukraine to produce drones in Norway, Oslo says (April 14, 2026). Reuters, Merz and Zelenskiy sign drone and defence cooperation accords (April 14, 2026). Reuters, Russian special envoy Dmitriev in US, meeting Trump administration members, sources say (April 9, 2026). ----------

    13 min

Trailer

About

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/siliconcurtain/subscribe A podcast about propaganda, digital disinformation, politics, corruption, hybrid warfare, weaponised conspiracy theories, social echo chambers and digital dystopias. 1984, Authoritarian, Autocracy, Autocrat, Big Brother, Brainwashing, Cold war, Cold war propaganda, Communism, Conflict, Conspiracy theories, Control, Cults, Cyber warfare, Deception, Dictator, Dictatorship, Digital dystopia, Digital media, Disinformation, Echo chambers, Economic sanctions, Fascist, Fake news, Foreign correspondents, Foreign policy, Fossil fuel sanctions, George Orwell, History, Hybrid warfare, Industrial disinfo

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