Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep411 | 2026-10-04 | Holy bones cannot save Putin – his curse is upon Russia. And now in a development of profound absurdity, those same saint’s bones from the 14th century, dug up and sent to the front, to save Mother Russia from the misfortune it brought upon itself have been lost. Abandoned at the front as Russian troops chaotically fled from Ukrainian advances. This episode is about the absurdity of Russia, it’s miserable retreat from modernity, and decent into tyranny and absurdity. There is cruel humour in this, but also we cannot forget the tragedies that unfold daily, as Putin intensifies his genocidal imperial assault upon 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:The Moscow Times — "Nearly 200 People Under Observation After Irkutsk Lab Worker Dies From Plague" (2 Oct 2026)Meduza — "Hospital in Russia's Irkutsk region quarantined amid reports that a patient died of pneumonic plague" (2 Oct 2026)Nasha Niva — "In Irkutsk Oblast, a scientific institute lab assistant died of plague" (citing Lyudi Baikala, Oct 2026)UNITED24 Media — "Russia Hides Potential Pneumonic Plague Outbreak After Fatal Lab Breach" (3 Oct 2026)Ukrainian News Agency — "In russia, lab technician at institute broke test tube containing dangerous infection…" (2 Oct 2026)Reuters via KFGO — "Russia draws up measures to control bear population after spate of deadly attacks" (30 Sep 2026)CNN via ABC17 — "Deadly bear attacks are rattling Russian Siberia. Why now?" (2 Oct 2026)US News (Reuters) — "Seventh Person Killed by Bear in Russian Region in a Month as Spate of Attacks Grows" (25 Sep 2026)Meduza — "Russia has a bear problem — attacks are reported almost daily" (11 Sep 2026)The Moscow Times — "Russian Orthodox Church Denies That Troops Lost Medieval Warrior Prince's Relics in Ukraine" (1 Oct 2026)UAWire — "Russian troops reportedly lose Dmitry Donskoy relics during retreat near Lyman"UkrMedia — "The Russian Orthodox Church has denied reports that Donskoy's relics have been lost" (Oct 2026)CNN — "Why Russia is sending dead princes and saints into battle" (26 Sep 2026)Meduza — "Russian officials are calling the discovery of a medieval prince's relics a miracle…" (4 Sep 2026)UATV / Center for Countering Disinformation — "ROC Transporting Part Of Prince Dmitry Donskoy's Relics To Front…" (Sep 2026)----------

Silicon Bites Ep410 | 2026-10-03 | Trump is doing everything to help Putin win his war, before summer of next year. Does he have a sense that Russia will struggle to mount new offensive operations beyond that point? Or do his hubris and delusion suggest to him that Ukrainians will capitulate after a cold winter of being battered daily? He could not be more wrong – every strike, every atrocity only serves to remind Ukrainians, that there is no worse fate, than to be occupied by Russia. This winter period is crucial – Putin thinks he can win, and Trump is creating the space and context for this to happen. We need to be truthful and clear-eyed. This is no more nor less than being complicit in the horrific genocidal slaughter of Ukrainians, ahead of winter. Russia is preparing the ground for a genocidal act – the attempt to make Ukrainian cities unliveable. Trump’s decisions, policies and rhetoric have produced identifiable advantages for Moscow and imposed greater immediate costs on Ukraine and U.S. allies than on Russia, since 2025.----------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 Ep409 | 2026-10-01 | Trump wants compliant allies – supine, dependent, insecure – and possibly divided. Now his animosities and resentments, intrigues and plotting may finally be tearing NATO apart. In this episode: the Pentagon's club of the obedient: why Eldridge Colby's formation of a NATO inner circle heralds the death of the alliance by other means, and why Europe must refuse to play this self-destructive game. Putin is getting all his Christmas presents early, courtesy of 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:Politico, "Trump administration leaves key allies out of NATO meeting," 30 September 2026 (original report; paywalled/blocked at time of drafting, content verified via secondary outlets below): https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/30/trump-nato-allies-left-out-01100310Kyiv Post, "Trump Leaves Key US Allies Out of NATO Group Meeting," 1 October 2026: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85825Babel, "Politico: Pentagon blocks key allies from NATO meeting," 1 October 2026: https://babel.ua/en/amp/news/130614-politico-pentagon-blocks-key-allies-from-nato-meetingTürkiye Today, "Pentagon leaves UK, France and Baltics out of NATO meeting in Poland: Report," 1 October 2026: https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/pentagon-leaves-uk-france-and-baltics-out-of-nato-meeting-in-poland-report-3229362SFG Media, "Pentagon Did Not Invite Britain, France and the Baltic States to Discuss NATO's Future," 1 October 2026: https://sfg.media/en/a/pentagon-excludes-allies-nato-future-talks/Euronews, "US troop drawdown in Romania signals wider US pivot away from Europe," 3 November 2025: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/11/03/us-troop-drawdown-in-romania-signals-wider-us-pivot-away-from-europeReuters via AOL, "Hegseth expected to follow Rubio in skipping NATO ministers' meeting," January 2026: https://www.aol.com/articles/hegseth-expected-skip-nato-ministers-154236573.htmlPolskie Radio, "US defense secretary expected to skip NATO meeting next month," 29 January 2026: https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/3640935,us-defense-secretary-expected-to-skip-nato-meeting-next-monthReuters via AOL, "Pentagon policy chief calls for NATO based on 'partnership rather than dependency'," 12 February 2026: https://www.aol.com/articles/nato-more-based-partnership-instead-082732347.htmlAl Jazeera, "US considers suspending Spain from NATO, reported internal email suggests," 24 April 2026: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/24/us-weighs-retaliation-against-nato-allies-over-iran-war-divisions-reutersForeign Policy, World Brief on Pentagon email (Spain/Falklands), 24 April 2026: https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/24/us-pentagon-email-nato-spain-uk-falkland-islands-iranAaj English TV (Reuters wire), "Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from NATO, other steps over Iran rift," April 2026: https://english.aaj.tv/news/amp/330457382----------

Lt. Gen. (retired) Ben Hodges is the former Commanding General of United States Army Europe, a post he held from 2014 to 2017 during the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine and NATO's subsequent reinforcement of its eastern flank. A 1980 West Point graduate and infantry officer, he commanded at company, battalion and brigade level, including the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He later served as Commander of NATO Allied Land Command in İzmir.Since retirement, Hodges has become a prominent analyst of European security, NATO logistics, Russia and Ukraine. He serves as a NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics, is associated with GLOBSEC's Future of Security and Defence Council, previously held CEPA's Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, and co-authored Future War and the Defence of Europe. ----------LINKS:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hodgeshttps://x.com/general_ben?lang=enhttps://www.globsec.org/who-we-are/our-people/lieutenant-general-retired-ben-hodgeshttps://www.rusi.org/people/hodges-0https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/ben-hodges----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------DESCRIPTION:Ben Hodges on Western Will, Russia’s Escalation, and a Path to Ukrainian VictoryJonathan interviews retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges about what they describe as a “sub-admission” war in which the West fails to openly acknowledge Russia is at war with it, undermining political will, policy coherence, and a defined end state. They discuss Russia’s rising risk-taking, including the Leipzig airport explosives drone incident and an underwhelming German response, arguing Moscow fills the space created by Western inaction and is rarely made to pay meaningful, unanticipated costs (including over frozen Russian assets). Hodges criticizes U.S. leadership under President Trump and urges Europe to “defeat Russia first” by enabling Ukraine to expel Russian forces, which would also signal resolve to China and isolate Iran. They contrast Ukraine’s infrastructure-strike exhaustion strategy with Russia’s strategy of erasure, warn about an accelerating drone arms race, and note civilians’ constrained options under intensified strikes. Hodges argues strategic bombing is not decisive, highlights Ukraine’s growing capacity to damage Russia’s oil and gas revenue and to conduct integrated combined-arms operations, and closes by stressing war as a test of will.----------EPISODES:00:00 War Is a Test of Will01:08 Naming the Conflict03:10 Russia Fills the Space05:19 Seizing the Initiative07:21 Why the West Hasn’t Mobilized09:26 Leadership and Defeat Russia First12:24 Theories of Victory16:17 Europe’s Crocodile Strategy19:32 Drone Arms Race Reality21:35 Life Under Airstrikes25:19 Why Strategic Bombing Won’t Win27:36 Combined Arms Hope29:34 Final Warning on Will30:25 Support the Channel----------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 Ep408 | 2026-09-30 | This terror will come to you. And not in the sneaky hybrid way, that happens just out of the corner of your eye. Out of sight and sound, with no direct impact on your lives, so you can forget and move on with your cosy lives. You have been warned. Such murder and mayhem are coming to your – to your factories, your businesses, your homes and your special places. You may not be interested in Russia, and may mean it no harm or ill thoughts, but believe me, Russia is not just interested in you, but may want to kill you, if it does not get its way. In this episode, the double terror that shows us what Russia has become – the Hamas of the snow, the ISIS of the Siberian steppe, a persistent threat to our safety, security and sovereignty. Russia murders scientists at their desks in broad daylight, and an unnamed "foreign actor" attempts a terror act on an English airbase. Europe is appalled. But being appalled is not a defence policy. Waves of terror and horror are radiating out from the terror fortress in Moscow, the Kremlin, point zero in a global terrorist alliance challenging the prominence of the West. This is a zero-sum game, and yet we are acting like the threat is only peripheral. ----------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:The Guardian via AOL — "Staff killed and wounded in Russian strike on Kyiv's science academy" (28 Sep 2026): https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/staff-killed-wounded-russian-strike-151650000.htmlReuters via The Japan Times — "Kyiv Science Academy hit, 10 dead as Russian jet-drones strike across Ukraine" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/29/world/kyiv-science-academy-russia-drones/National Security Journal — "America's Own National Academies Have Now Condemned Russia's Direct Strike on Ukraine's Scientific Infrastructure" (29 Sep 2026): https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/americas-own-national-academies-have-now-condemned-russias-direct-strike-on-ukraines-scientific-infrastructure/Kyiv Post — "Russia Pounds Kyiv Again With Ballistic Missiles Hours After Attacks Kill 2, Injure 26" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85606Kyiv Post — "'Science Became a Target': Europe Condemns Russian Strikes on Kyiv Civilian Sites" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85607Kyiv Post — "Zelensky Warns Russia Is Training North Korea for War, Feeding Iran Satellite Intelligence" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85609Research Professional News — "Leaders condemn Russia's 'barbaric' attack on Ukrainian academy" (29 Sep 2026): https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-europe-other-nations-2026-9-leaders-condemn-russia-s-barbaric-attack-on-ukrainian-academy/ALLEA (All European Academies) — "ALLEA Condemns Russian Drone Strike on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" (29 Sep 2026): https://allea.org/allea-condemns-russian-drone-strike-on-the-national-academy-of-sciences-of-ukraine/UNITED24 Media — "Two Scientists Killed in Russian Strike on Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences" (28–29 Sep 2026): https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/two-scientists-killed-in-russian-strike-on-ukraines-national-academy-of-sciences-22926----------

James Sherr OBE is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme, which he headed from 2008–11. He currently is a Honorary Fellow at the International Centre for Defence & Security in Tallinn, Estonia, and he was previously Senior Fellow of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute there. His background stretches across the UK Defence Academy, Oxford, RUSI, extensive advisory work in Ukraine and decades of research into Soviet/Russian military and security policy.----------LINKS:https://icds.ee/en/author/james-sherr-5/https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/james-sherrhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Sherrhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/james-sherr-obe-9593885/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------DESCRIPTION:James Sherr: Russia Chose War in 2021—And the West Still Thinks in Peacetime TermsIn this interview, James Sherr argues that Russia’s core security culture and institutions—its siloviki and General Staff—were never reformed after the USSR, and that a key change in late 2020–2021 was Moscow’s conclusion that it could not achieve its objectives in Europe without war, testing the Biden administration and seeking recognition of a Russian sphere of influence. Since 2022, he says Russia has intensified a holistic, undeclared war against the West alongside the brutal war in Ukraine, with “hybrid” operations becoming increasingly kinetic, while Western responses remain constrained by peacetime legal standards, escalation fears, and lost institutional memory. Sherr stresses that Putin seeks to crush Ukraine, that Russia will not stop voluntarily, and that only tangible, risk-accepting Western actions can make Russia’s aims infeasible; he also notes Russia’s effective allies and warns Western analysis often misreads Russian belief systems, endurance, and concepts of power.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Russia Militarized State01:11 Why War Became Inevitable04:11 Undeclared War Reality06:11 Attribution And Escalation Trap10:19 Lost Deterrence Memory12:37 Siloviki Culture Unreformed14:52 Dark Empathy For Russia19:19 Authority And Prigozhin Lesson23:24 Western Weak Signals30:04 Allies And Alignment Of Interest35:03 Putin Next Levers40:44 No Magic Breaking Point47:07 War Transforms Russia58:10 Risk And Strategic Neutralization----------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----------

Lough is currently Senior Research Fellow and Head of Foreign Policy & International Partnerships at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre (NEST Centre). He leads its foreign-policy work and international partnerships. He remains an Associate Fellow in Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme. ----------LINKS:https://nestcentre.org/author/john-lough/https://nestcentre.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lough-6201804/https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/john-lough----------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----------

Dominic Culverwell is a British-born, Kyiv-based journalist and business reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where his beat covers Ukrainian companies, investment, energy, corruption and reform. He joined the publication in 2023 after freelance work for outlets including the Financial Times, bne IntelliNews, RFE/RL, Euronews and New Eastern Europe. Before that, he worked with StopFake as a disinformation expert, debunking Russian narratives in Europe.----------LINKS:Kyiv Independent London event: https://tickets.kyivindependent.com/events/thekyivindependentlive/2281999https://kyivindependent.com/https://kyivindependent.com/author/dominic/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-culverwell-283b71153/https://muckrack.com/dominic-culverwell-https://x.com/DomCulvhttps://www.rferl.org/author/dominic-culverwell/u_ykqy----------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 Ep406 | 2026-09-26 | What comes after Putin’s sham election? Russia’s hidden mass mobilisation is already running and will be far bigger than the western allies are expecting or planning for. It’s time to wake up to the scale of the threat that Putin represents to the whole free world. Twenty-first of September 2022. Vladimir Putin goes on television and announces a "partial" mobilisation. Eight days earlier, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov had told the world there were no such plans. This is four years to the day. Now Russia's election chief, Ella Pamfilova, announces that Putin's United Russia has taken 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. A record. A supermajority. A parliament with no anti-war party in it, because the only anti-war party was struck off the ballot by the Supreme Court in August. Apparently, everyone is delighted with the war in Russia. ----------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:Mediazona — "Cases of forced deployment to the front are multiplying. Mediazona compiles known incidents" (22 Sept 2026): https://en.zona.media/article/2026/09/22/pacmobilisationMediazona Data Department — "Four years of 'partial' mobilisation. New data reveals the fates of Russia's mobilised men" (21 Sept 2026): https://en.zona.media/article/2026/09/21/mobilisedEuronews — "Putin's party wins record Duma majority in Kremlin-controlled elections as EU vows sanctions" (21 Sept 2026): https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/21/putins-party-wins-record-duma-majority-in-kremlin-controlled-elections-as-eu-vows-sanctionEuronews — "Putin's United Russia party wins record 355 parliament seats, election chief says" (21 Sept 2026): https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/21/russians-vote-in-final-day-of-parliamentary-electionsTRT World — "Putin's United Russia wins record 355 seats in State Duma" (21 Sept 2026): https://www.trtworld.com/article/d007edc36e76Outlook India (citing Reuters) — "Russia Election: Putin's United Russia Wins Record 355 Seats" (22 Sept 2026): https://www.outlookindia.com/international/russia-election-putins-united-russia-wins-record-355-seatsEuronews — "Russians leave before election ends, fearing mobilisation to follow" (19 Sept 2026): https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/19/russians-leave-before-election-ends-fearing-mobilisation-to-followCharter'97 — "For the 18th time since the start of summer, the Kremlin has stated that 'there will be no mobilization'" (18 Sept 2026): https://charter97.org/en/news/2026/9/18/698953UNN — "The Kremlin has already assured for the 18th time since the beginning of summer that there will be no new mobilization" (19 Sept 2026): https://unn.ua/en/news/the-kremlin-has-already-assured-for-the-18th-time-since-the-beginning-of-summer-that-there-will-be-no-new-mobilization-in-russiaBloomberg — "Russians Fear Putin Will Send Them to War Once Election Is Over" (18 Sept 2026): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-18/russians-fear-putin-will-send-them-to-war-once-election-is-overThe Spokesman-Review (Bloomberg syndication, full text) (18 Sept 2026): https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/18/russians-fear-putin-will-send-them-to-war-once-ele/----------

Oleksandra Chorna is a Blogger and Therapist based in New York. She runs platforms including on YouTube focusing on democratic politics, authoritarian slide, and Ukraine's struggle to remain independent in the face of Russian aggression. ----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@UC9WVWN8qNEiy2CofIUW9Zpw https://www.instagram.com/mom_ocracy/https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksandra-chorna-30b9088/----------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----------