Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites SW26-225 | 2026-10-07 | Russia is Testing the locks. Probes on NATO’s sovereign borders are intensifying, and with them comes increased risk, from a bolder and more desperate Russia. Testing the locks: armed men on Latvia’s border, drones exploding in Moldova, a Russian helicopter over Poland. Putin is probing NATO for the weakest seam in the defensive cloth. The only question is whether we can find the strength to defend ourselves before he finds it.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Kyiv Independent — "Armed individuals from Belarus threaten Latvian soldiers at border, followed by another breach" (6–7 Oct 2026)TVP World — "Armed escorts push migrants towards Latvia as masked men breach border" (Oct 2026)LIGA.net — "Armed, masked individuals threatened Latvian military personnel at the border with Belarus" (Oct 2026)Mezha (citing Ukrainska Pravda) — "Latvia Reports Belarus Border Provocations After Masked Intruders Damage Surveillance System" (7 Oct 2026)UA.News (citing RMF24) — "Armed men threatened Latvian military at border" (Oct 2026)Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — protest note on August 2023 border violation near MusteikaMeduza — "Poland says Russian military helicopter violated its airspace" (23 Sep 2026)Kyiv Independent — "Russian Mi-8 helicopter violates Polish airspace near Kaliningrad, Poland says" (23 Sep 2026)TVP World — "Russian military helicopter briefly breaches Polish airspace" (23 Sep 2026)Kyiv Independent — "NATO jets shoot down drone over Lithuanian airspace after it flew in from Belarus" (15 Sep 2026)AP via ABC News — "NATO jets down drone in Lithuanian airspace" (15 Sep 2026)AP via FOX 5 San Diego — explosive device found on Lithuanian drone (15 Sep 2026)----------

Today I’m speaking to David Satter, journalist, and historian with unique insights into how the repression of the past, is having terrible consequences for present day Russia. David has written extensively about Russia and the Soviet Union, especially the decline and fall of the USSR and rise of post-Soviet Russia. David Satter became the first American journalist to be expelled from Russia since the Cold War in December 2013. From 1976 to 1982 David was the Moscow correspondent of the Financial Times, and then became a special correspondent on Soviet affairs for The Wall Street Journal. He is author of several books that are essential reading to help understand the origins of the current crisis, including the brilliantly named ----------BOOKS:Darkness at Dawn: The Rise of the Russian Criminal State (2003)It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway (2011)The Less You Know, The Better You Sleep (2016)Never Speak to Strangers and other writing from Russia and the Soviet Union (2020) ----------LINKS:https://davidsatter.org/ https://x.com/DavidSatterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Satterhttps://www.hudson.org/experts/362-david-satterhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/david-satter/ ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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----------

Julia Ilnytska is a Ukrainian people-and-operations professional, interviewer, and the founder and host of iUkraine, an English-language podcast focused on the people building modern Ukraine. The project was created to shift international attention beyond the war itself and towards the entrepreneurs, technologists, defence innovators, communicators, investors and civic leaders shaping Ukraine’s future. Ilnytska describes iUkraine as a platform for conversations about a country that is not only defending itself, but continuing to build, innovate and create under extreme pressure.Through iUkraine, she has interviewed figures working across defence technology, entrepreneurship, strategic communications, diplomacy and Ukraine’s international image, presenting their work primarily to an international audience. The podcast’s underlying argument is that Ukraine should be understood not solely through the destruction caused by Russia’s invasion, but through the remarkable capacity of Ukrainians to adapt, innovate and build institutions and businesses during wartime. ----------LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/@UC1LXlPzrCrbGG69YDn3kP5A https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-ilnytska/https://www.instagram.com/july_ilnytska/https://base.monobank.ua/DYMCPXXLcNKiawhttps://www.patreon.com/cw/iukraine2025/membership----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep413 | 2026-10-06 | TERRITORIAL SURRENDER AS NEGOTIATING FRAMEWORKThe policy did not stop at the dismantling. It escalated into affirmative acceptance of the maximalist Russian territorial agenda. April 2025: The U.S. peace proposal, developed through envoy Steve Witkoff and leaked to Reuters, proposed:- Legal U.S. recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.- De facto recognition of Russian control over other occupied Ukrainian territories.- Ukraine abandoning its constitutional NATO membership aspiration.- Lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014.- Vague, non-Article-5-adjacent security guarantees for Ukraine. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Simon Shuster / The Atlantic via Meduza English — "The Atlantic: Trump backs plan to ease Russia sanctions in exchange for political prisoners without waiting for the Ukraine war to end" (29 September 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "'Magic of business' instead of pressure: Trump backs plan to ease sanctions on Russia" (29 September 2026) UNN English — "Trump agreed to ease sanctions against the Russian Federation in exchange for political prisoners - The Atlantic" (29-30 September 2026)Kyiv Post via Politico — "Trump Leaves Key US Allies Out of NATO Group Meeting" (1 October 2026)Institute for the Study of War / Critical Threats — Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, 27 September 2026 UNITED24 Media — "Putin Wants Ukraine to Capitulate by Spring 2027 Through Intensified Strikes, ISW Says" (28-29 September 2026) Reuters via NYT reporting — "US-Russia talks on Ukraine involve multi-billion-dollar oil deal - NYT reports" (3 October 2026)Reuters via Malay Mail — "Teachers, dissidents and a Nobel laureate — the 123 prisoners freed in Belarus-US sanctions deal" (14 December 2025) AP via Yahoo — "Belarus frees 52 political prisoners as US lifts some sanctions on its national airline" (September 2025)AP via Yahoo — "Belarus releases 250 political prisoners in a deal with the US to lift some sanctions" (March 2026) Reuters — "Trump administration disbands task force targeting Russian oligarchs" (6 February 2025)Reuters — "US defense chief Hegseth says return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders not realistic" (12 February 2025) ----------

Silicon Bites Ep412 | 2026-10-05 | The treachery is parading in plain sight. These patterns of implicit betrayal of Ukraine were there from the very start of the Trump regime, but we’ll unpack them in more detail in this episode. And there is a new plan to let Putin off the hook, even before the aggression against Ukraine ends. Easing sanctions on Russia in exchange for the release of Russian political prisoners – a policy of such moral and political degeneracy, that it could only, have come from the Trump White House. The delusional assumptions underpinning it are legion: - reintegrate Russia into the global economy;- expand Trump's negotiations with the Kremlin beyond the intractable war in Ukraine, which his envoys have failed to end after more than a year of diplomacy;- bolster Trump's case for his long-awaited Nobel Peace Prize.They are not three Ukraine-related objectives. They are only to benefit Trump. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Simon Shuster / The Atlantic via Meduza English — "The Atlantic: Trump backs plan to ease Russia sanctions in exchange for political prisoners without waiting for the Ukraine war to end" (29 September 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "'Magic of business' instead of pressure: Trump backs plan to ease sanctions on Russia" (29 September 2026) UNN English — "Trump agreed to ease sanctions against the Russian Federation in exchange for political prisoners - The Atlantic" (29-30 September 2026)Kyiv Post via Politico — "Trump Leaves Key US Allies Out of NATO Group Meeting" (1 October 2026)Institute for the Study of War / Critical Threats — Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, 27 September 2026 UNITED24 Media — "Putin Wants Ukraine to Capitulate by Spring 2027 Through Intensified Strikes, ISW Says" (28-29 September 2026) Reuters via NYT reporting — "US-Russia talks on Ukraine involve multi-billion-dollar oil deal - NYT reports" (3 October 2026)Reuters via Malay Mail — "Teachers, dissidents and a Nobel laureate — the 123 prisoners freed in Belarus-US sanctions deal" (14 December 2025) AP via Yahoo — "Belarus frees 52 political prisoners as US lifts some sanctions on its national airline" (September 2025)AP via Yahoo — "Belarus releases 250 political prisoners in a deal with the US to lift some sanctions" (March 2026) Reuters — "Trump administration disbands task force targeting Russian oligarchs" (6 February 2025)Reuters — "US defense chief Hegseth says return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders not realistic" (12 February 2025) ----------

Livestream with Yuri RashkinLINKS:https://rashkinreport.substack.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rashkin-report/id1183073638----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------

David DeBatto is host of the ‘No Delusion Zone’ podcast @NoDelusionZone is a retired U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, a geopolitical analyst, writer, and podcaster. David is an Iraq war veteran who served as Team Leader of a Tactical Human Intelligence Team (THT) in operations within Iraq and is also a former police officer. David is considered too conservative for the progressive left and too independent minded for the radical right and seeks to challenge political dogma and the naked self-interest of politicians. ----------LINKS:@NoDelusionZone https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/podcasthttps://www.protectingtherepublic.com/https://x.com/ddebattohttps://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743----------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/----------

Cormac Smith is a former UK government communications specialist and diplomat with extensive experience of Ukraine, Russian disinformation and strategic communications. He served as a strategic communications adviser to Ukraine’s foreign minister while attached to the British Embassy in Kyiv, becoming the first foreign national embedded within Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During roughly 18 months in Ukraine, he also advised the National Security and Defence Council, NATO’s mission in Kyiv and several Ukrainian ministries on crisis and strategic communications. After returning to the UK Cabinet Office in 2018, Smith worked on the British government’s response to Kremlin disinformation following the Salisbury Novichok attack, giving him direct experience of how Russian information operations accompany covert and hostile-state activity. His expertise lies particularly in counter-disinformation, strategic communications, narrative warfare and institutional resilience against Russian influence operations.----------Shaun Pinner is a former British Army soldier who later served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, giving him rare first-hand experience of both the battlefield and Russian captivity. Born in Watford, he served for nine years with the Royal Anglian Regiment, including UN operations in Bosnia, before moving to Ukraine and joining its military in 2018. He served with the 36th Separate Marine Brigade and fought during the defence of Mariupol after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Captured by Russian forces, Pinner spent around six months as a prisoner of war and was sentenced to death by the Russian-backed authorities in occupied Donetsk before being released in a prisoner exchange in September 2022. He has described being subjected to torture and psychological abuse in captivity. Ukraine subsequently awarded him the Order of Courage, 3rd Degree, and he has since briefed NATO personnel on his battlefield and POW experience. He is the author of 'Live. Fight. Survive.', an account of combat, capture and imprisonment.----------LINKS:https://shaunpinner.substack.com/podcasthttps://shaunpinner.com/https://www.youtube.com/@Live.Fight.Survivehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaun_Pinnerhttps://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/300663/shaun-pinnerhttps://cepa.org/author/sean-pinner/https://www.instagram.com/shaunpinnerua/----------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----------

Jason Jay Smart is a political adviser who has lived and worked in Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Latin America. Due to his work with the democratic opposition to Vladimir Putin, Smart was made persona non grata for life by Russia in 2010. Jason is a Special Correspondent at the Kyiv Post. It’s the state of US support for Ukraine that we will discuss today.----------LINKS:https://jasonjaysmart.com/ https://www.kyivpost.com/authors/5 https://americanpoliticalservices.com/https://www.facebook.com/jasonjaysmarthttps://twitter.com/officejjsmart ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga’s Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine’s largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites SW26-224 | 2026-10-02 | Putin seizes Nestlé, Auchan and Leroy Merlin assets. One part of me wants to cheer, as this is predictable and inevitable punishment for those companies that thought they could remain in Russia and profit from death. On the other hand, it marks a new low in Russia’s slide away from a market economy and towards criminal, kleptocratic authoritarianism. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:Ukrainska Pravda (English) — "Putin seizes Russian assets of Auchan, Nestlé and Leroy Merlin", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/09/18/8053993/The Moscow Times / Reuters — "Kremlin Seizes Nestlé and Auchan Assets in Latest Business Crackdown", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/18/kremlin-seizes-nestle-and-auchan-assets-in-latest-business-crackdown-a93745Bloomberg via SWI swissinfo.ch — "Russia Ties Nestle, Auchan Asset Grabs to Europe Aid for Ukraine", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/russia-ties-nestle%2c-auchan-asset-grabs-to-europe-aid-for-ukraine/92078072AFP via France 24 — "Russia seizes assets of Swiss food giant Nestle and three French firms", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260918-russia-seizes-assets-of-swiss-food-giant-nestle-and-three-french-firmsEuromaidan Press — "'A warning to companies that remain': Russia takes control of Nestlé and Auchan's assets", 18 Sept 2026 — https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/09/18/russia-takes-control-of-nestle-and-auchan-assets/AP via The Washington Times — "Kremlin orders businesses seized", 18 Sept 2026 — https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/18/kremlin-orders-businesses-seized/CNN — "Kremlin seizes Nestlé's assets in Russia as crackdown on private business grows", 18 Sept 2026 — https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/18/business/kremlin-seizes-nestle-assets-russia-intlCharter97 — "Putin Signed A Decree Ordering The Confiscation Of Auchan And Nestlé's Assets In Russia", 18 Sept 2026 — https://charter97.org/en/news/2026/9/18/698850UA News — "The Kremlin explained the transfer of Auchan and Nestlé's assets to external management", 18 Sept 2026 — https://ua.news/en/world/kreml-poiasniv-peredachu-aktiviv-auchan-i-nestle-pid-zovnishnie-upravlinniaEuronews — "Risky to stay, costly to leave: French companies active in Russia face dilemma", 4 Nov 2025 (background: Leroy Merlin / Auchan revenue and tax rankings) — https://euronews.com/2025/11/04/risky-to-stay-costly-to-leave-french-companies-active-in-russia-face-dilemmaEuronews — "German companies pay Russia €17.2bn in taxes…" (KSE / B4Ukraine / Squeezing Putin data; Nezir Sinani), 1 Nov 2025 — https://www.euronews.com/2025/11/01/german-companies-pay-russia-172-billion-in-taxes-raising-concerns-of-funding-its-war-in-ukB4Ukraine — "How global firms bankrolled Russia's war chest in 2024" — https://b4ukraine.org/whats-new/how-global-firms-bankrolled-russias-war-chest-in-2024----------