2025-11-18 | Silicon Wafers 059 | Kyiv has doubled down on the line: “He’s on a planned trip, not a fugitive”. They are referring to former defence minister Rustem Umerov and the persistent rumours he has “left the country and refuses to return”. The government vehemently claims these rumours spreading like wildfire on social media, are ‘very explicitly’ false. So, is this scandal or psyop? Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD) has now refuted the story of “Umerov fleeing and refusing to return”, but it’s clear that Russian propaganda has been handed a gift that it won’t let go of easily. The officially sanctioned story is that he is on a scheduled official trip, “working in the United States” and holding meetings “aimed at strengthening international support for Ukraine,” and that he “remains in constant working contact with the state leadership.”----------SOURCES: "The CCD refuted fake news about Umierov’s escape What they say | Censor.NET"https://censor.net/en/news/3585492/the-ccd-refuted-fake-news-about-umierov-s-escape-what-they-say "Umerov to return to Ukraine, probably on Thursday - source | УНН"https://unn.ua/en/news/umerov-to-return-to-ukraine-probably-on-thursday-source "The NSDC officially announced the date of Umerov’s return to Ukraine • ANTIKOR portal"https://antikor.ua/en/amp/articles/803699-snbo_ofitsialjno_nazval_datu_vozvrashchenija_umerova_v_ukrainu "Ukraine seeking exchange of 1,200 prisoners with Russia"https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-seeking-exchange-1200-prisoners-with-russia-2025-11-16/ "Top 7 most brazen facts and episodes from the Mindich case"https://english.nv.ua/nation/midas-case-reveals-corruption-influence-and-private-ties-in-ukraine-s-energy-and-defense-sectors-50561071.html"Umerov denies Mindic's influence in 2025 | Ukrainian News"https://news.liga.net/en/politics/news/the-sapo-reported-mindichs-alleged-influence-on-umerov-the-nsdc-secretary-responded "Corruption in the energy sector - the Midas scandal exposed the influence of Bankova Street and the escape of the main suspect - ZN.ua"https://zn.ua/eng/operation-midas-how-absolute-power-was-built-one-dollar-at-a-time.html "The Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine is in no hurry to return"https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/11/16/the-secretary-of-the-nsdc-of-ukraine-is-in-no-hurry-to-return-there-is-a-lot-of-work-on-prisoners----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------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/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------