Épisodes

  • 947. The Precarious Status of Foreign Fighters that Die in Ukraine
    Feb 11 2026

    Jared Goyette - Assistant Editor at the Kyiv Independent. Jared Goyette is an American journalist based in Kyiv and an assistant editor on the Kyiv Independent’s War Desk. His reporting has appeared in The Nation and on PRI’s “The World,” and he previously served as the English-language editor for The Ukrainians Media. His work has also appeared in The Guardian and The Washington Post.----------LINKS:https://kyivindependent.com/author/jared/https://www.instagram.com/jaredgoyette/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-goyette-743908a/https://x.com/JaredGoyettehttps://chytomo.com/en/authors/jared-goyette/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN 10 Events in 10 months - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur first live events this year in Lviv and Kyiv 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 10 events in 10 months (at a minimum). We may add more venues to the program, depending on the success of the fundraising campaign. 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----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescueht


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    28 min
  • Russia Accuses Poland and Ukraine of Planning GRU Assassination
    Feb 11 2026

    2026-02-10 | UPDATES #127 | GRU deputy chief Vladimir Alekseyev shot in Moscow — Ukraine’s “shadow war”, or Russia eating itself? Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev — described by Reuters as deputy head of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service — was shot multiple times in Moscow in what Russian officials called an attempted assassination. (Reuters)----------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 this week, 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 January 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: Reuters (6 Feb 2026) — Russian intelligence official shot, Ukraine denial, courier cover storyReuters (8 Feb 2026) — FSB says suspect detained in Dubai, silenced Makarov, names of alleged accomplices AP (8 Feb 2026) — Russia says suspect detained, peace-talk framing The Guardian (6–8 Feb 2026) — Moscow stairwell shooting, extradition reporting Hromadske (6 Feb 2026) — Lavrov “terrorist act” quote via Russian state media ----------

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    14 min
  • 952. Russia is Trying to Destroy Kyiv - Committing a Monstrous Crime
    Feb 11 2026

    Ronnie Apteker was born in South Africa and is a tech entrepreneur, writer and indie film maker. Ronnie came to live in Kyiv quite a few years ago and loves giving foreigners, and some locals, tours of the city. Ukraine deserves a better conversation in the world. KYIV OF MINE - is a documentary series about Ukraine’s beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.----------LINKS:https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojecthttps://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnie-apteker-88219371/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dw-p-59111859/https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineStory----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------


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    20 min
  • 944. Putin Can't Beat Them - Ukrainians Resist Russia with Everything They Have
    Feb 7 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/@AlexFromUATV----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: 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.


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    23 min
  • 946. The Drone Revolution is Accelerating - Ukraine is in the Forefront of Change!
    Feb 7 2026

    Lyuba Shipovich is Dignitas Fund Team Co-Founder, and a Ukrainian-American activist and volunteer, active member of the Ukrainian diaspora, organizer of numerous volunteer initiatives, co-founder of Razom for Ukraine, organizer and coordinator of procurement and delivery of material support and training, IT expert, one of the Dignitas Ukraine founders. As part of the Dignitas Fund leadership team, Lyuba is the driving force behind the organization’s strategic direction. She helps shape its long-term vision for defense technology in Ukraine, military-tech support for Ukraine, and targeted assistance to frontline units and veterans. Before Lyuba became a Revolution of Dignity activist in 2014, in Ukraine, which became a symbol of our foundation, she worked for a long time as an IT specialist in the US, already having many years of experience as a Ukrainian tech entrepreneur. In the 2010s, she became an active member of the diaspora supporting Ukraine and helped organize volunteer initiatives abroad. The work in the diaspora marked the beginning of her path as a Ukrainian volunteer activist. The combination of technical knowledge and civic activism is the basis of Lyuba Shipovich’s biography.Even before the emergence of the modern Dignitas charity in Ukraine, Lyuba was already deeply involved in volunteer networks. She first became a Razom for Ukraine co-founder, where she gained experience in creating initiatives for fundraising, procurement, and humanitarian aid, which became critically important in the early years of the war. Her first steps in such significant organizations eventually earned Lyuba a reputation as a Ukrainian humanitarian & military support volunteer. Today, she remains a prominent voice in media and public discussions, and any Lyuba Shipovich interview consistently highlights the importance of coordinated logistics, transparency, and smart technology support for Ukrainian defenders.The public role of Lyuba Shipovich is significant; she is frequently referenced in the media as a Ukrainian miltech activist, a Ukraine war volunteer, and an innovator who bridges the gap between civilian technology and defense needs. As Ukraine becomes increasingly recognized in international discussions on resilience, Luba’s work at Dignitas promotes modern means of defense, better coordination, and long-term veterans support in Ukraine.----------LINKS:https://dignitas.fund/team/lyuba-shipovich/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: 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.


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    17 min
  • BREAKING: Disaster for RUSSIA as Frontline Starlink Terminals are 'Bricked'
    Feb 6 2026

    2026-02-06 | UPDATES #126 | Have Starlinks really been switched off on Russia’s side? What impact will this have, and what might have led to this step. This could be a catastrophe for Russia, if the worst case is realised, but what is really happening on the frontlines? Today, why Musk and Starlink keeps becoming a battleground for Russia’s war for domination against Ukraine.Russian Starlinks went dark. here’s what that means. If you’ve seen the headline “Starlink switched off for Russia” — you may have wondered if this was a real story. The deep focus version of the story is sharper, more interesting and more damning: Ukraine says Starlink terminals being used by Russian forces inside Ukraine’s battlespace have been deactivated — after a rapid “whitelist” push designed to keep verified Ukrainian terminals online and unauthorised terminals offline. (Reuters)----------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 this week, 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 January 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: Reuters — “Ukraine says Starlink terminals used by Russia deactivated in blow to Moscow” (5 Feb 2026). Ministry of Defence of Ukraine — Guidance on registering/verification of Starlink terminals (5 Feb 2026).Ukrinform — Ukraine introduces Starlink ‘white list’ / verification (2 Feb 2026).Euronews — SpaceX/Ukraine move to block Russian Starlink use; Fedorov statements (2 Feb 2026).Le Monde — Report on Starlink-equipped drones, moving-target risk, and countermeasures (4 Feb 2026). The Record (Recorded Future News) — Whitelist + speed restriction framing (5 Feb 2026). Reuters — “Ukraine says Russian forces obtaining Musk’s Starlink via third countries” (12 Feb 2024). Reuters — “Russia using thousands of SpaceX Starlink terminals in Ukraine, WSJ says” (15 Feb 2024). Reuters Investigations — “Musk ordered shutdown of Starlink satellite service as Ukraine retook territory…” (25 Jul 2025). Reuters — Coverage of Crimea/Starlink dispute and escalation concerns (8 Sep 2023). The Guardian — EU warning about disinformation ratio on X (context on platform risk) (26 Sep 2023). Reuters — EU regulatory scrutiny / DSA-related reporting on X (context) (26 Jan 2026). ----------

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    15 min
  • "This Ends Badly" - Igor Girkin Predicts Betrayal and Defeat for Russia
    Feb 3 2026

    2026-02-03 | UPDATES #125 | Russia’s internal information front has never been more divided. You could go so far as to say it’s eating itself alive. On one side: the regime’s studio fanatics—smiling through war crimes, promising apocalypse, selling “victory” like they’re flogging a soda brand. On the other: Z-Patriots, milbloggers, and turbo-nationalists — some angry, some exhausted, some quietly terrified that the Kremlin is steering toward yet another illusory “deal” that looks like defeat in slow motion. They can see Russia bleeding out but do nothing to stop it. As of February 3, 2026, this war has run about 1,440 days — longer than the USSR’s war against Nazi Germany, commonly cited as 1,418 days. The “Great Patriotic War” myth was supposed to be the Kremlin’s sacred measuring stick, the propagandist touchstone to justify every act of aggression, make sense of every horror and sacrifice. As well as being a universal vanishing point for all propaganda narratives. Now it’s a timer counting down the credibility of the entire project and putting the architecture of the Russian empire in doubt. ----------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 this week, 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 January 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: Kyiv Post — ISW assessment summary noting milbloggers highlighting inconsistencies (published Jan 25, 2026). RussiaPost — Ivan Filippov on Z-community split over talks/ceasefire logic (Apr 1, 2025) (background framing). The Guardian — reporting including Solovyov quote about pushing Ukraine “into the stone age” (Feb 3, 2026).Reuters — Girkin sentencing context; crackdown on nationalist critic (Jan 25, 2024) (background). The Moscow Times — appeal upheld / prison status context (May 29, 2024) (background). ----------

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    15 min
  • "Come to Moscow" - You'll Not Want to Leave - Putin's 'Irresistible' Offer
    Feb 3 2026

    2026-02-02 | UPDATES #124 | “‘Come to Moscow,’ the Kremlin says — let’s all make peace in Moscow. Another offer, or rather ultimatum has been made to Zelenskyy – come to the Kremlin and hammer out peace. But this is not an offer designed for Ukraine – it’s 100% for the Americans, for the Vatniks and for the propagandists, to try to make Ukraine look like the party that is obstructing a settlement. “Come to the Kremlin”, says the spider to the fly, like it’s a neutral venue, like it’s a normal invitation, like Moscow isn’t the command centre of a war of annihilation, like this isn’t a trap. But this isn’t diplomacy. It’s a stage-prop — built to stall, to smear, and to set up Ukraine as the ‘obstacle’ to peace. Let’s break down the playbook — and the history that makes it toxic, especially from Soviet times.----------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 this week, 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 January 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: Kyiv Post — Kremlin Rules Out Zelensky-Putin Talks Outside Moscow (Feb 2, 2026). Associated Press — Kremlin official confirms U.S.-brokered talks resuming in Abu Dhabi (Feb 2, 2026). Reuters — Zelenskiy says new trilateral talks set for Feb 4–5 in Abu Dhabi (Feb 1, 2026). Anadolu Agency — Peskov confirms Abu Dhabi talks; reiterates Moscow line (Feb 2, 2026).TASS — Russia considers Moscow sole venue for talks with Zelensky — Peskov (Jan 29, 2026; cited for direct quote). Kyiv Independent — coverage of Ushakov/Peskov venue pressure and Kyiv’s refusal (Jan 28–30, 2026). The Guardian / AP — ongoing strikes context alongside diplomacy (Feb 2, 2026). ----------

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    10 min