Silicon Curtain

Silicon Bites Ep265 - Day 1,351 - 2025-11-05 | Donetsk, the contested Donetsk rail-and-road hub has become the most consequential urban fight since Avdiivka, and the outcome of that fight may turn out to be instrumental for the outcome of the war, not only against Ukraine, but Russia’s war against Western democracy. In today’s episode, we are zooming in on the battle for Pokrovsk. We’ll explain why Russia is so desperate to take it, what Ukraine is doing to hold it, the claims and counterclaims on the ground, and what happens next if Russia’s offensive stalls — or if it succeeds.On Sunday, Valery Gerasimov, Russian chief of staff, told President Vladimir Putin his 2nd and 51st Combined Arms Armies were "advancing along converging axes" and "have completed the encirclement of the enemy" in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. He claimed 5,500 Ukrainian troops were surrounded. But Russian military reporters contradicted these claims, with one named "Military Informant" telling 621,000 Telegram subscribers, "There is simply no encirclement". Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was categorical last Saturday: while the situation in Pokrovsk remains "hardest" for Ukrainian forces, there is no encirclement or blockade as Russia has claimed. He insisted a comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.----------SOURCES: The Guardian — Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy visits troops near embattled Pokrovsk (Nov 5, 2025) The Guardian — Ukraine deploys special forces to Pokrovsk in effort to hold key city (Nov 2, 2025)Reuters — Ukraine says its troops still holding out in Pokrovsk as Moscow says pincer closing (Nov 1, 2025)The Moscow Times/AFP — Zelensky Visits Troops Near Threatened Pokrovsk (Nov 4, 2025)Kyiv Independent — Russia claims HUR special forces raid… Ukraine denies, Syrskyi insists ‘no encirclement’ (Nov 1, 2025)Kyiv Independent — Russian ‘sabotage’ unit that killed civilians in Pokrovsk later eliminated (Oct 20, 2025)----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Noel Tock has been in Ukraine since 2023, part-time running frontline evacuations. He has founded and participated in several charities to support Ukraine, and to pioneer work on the ground that is transparent in funding sources and effective in action. He is Director of Strategy at KLYN Drones and Dog Help Kharkiv and Co-Founder - Volara Foundation. ----------Director of Strategy – KLYN DronesNon-profit assembling FPV drones sent to AFU Special Operations Forces and other units / brigades. 95% of components are Ukrainian, making this charity unique in its sourcing and with donations going back into the Ukrainian economy. Volunteer-powered. Director of Strategy at Dog Help KharkivPart of the core team (in co-operation with NOR DOG), and part-time on-site in Kharkiv with trips around eastern Ukraine. Various work around fundraising, brand development, marketing, digital, and the occasional wrestling with uncooperative animals near frontlines. Accidental connoisseur of Ukrainian gas station food. Co-Founder - Volara Foundation Kharkiv, UkraineFoundation that supports multiple frontline micro-charities — they are high impact & direct-action teams. The need for this arose from my own experiences living in Kharkiv and experiencing the huge disconnect between on-the-ground teams which are not visible to western supporters. This is my highest leverage play as a direct result of my frontline experiences. DM me to support.----------LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/noeltock/https://www.instagram.com/noeltock/https://volara.org/KLYN Drones, made in Ukraine - https://klyn.io/Dog Help Kharkiv - Volunteer-powered, complex animal evacuations from the front lines -https://dog-help-kharkiv.org/----------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.

2025-11-04 | Silicon Wafers 048 | DAILY UPDATES | We’re zeroing in on the Black Sea in today’s episode, much like Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s sea-drone campaign has lit up Russia’s oil hub at Tuapse, with a tanker fire, damaged loading gear, and — as per independent analysis — apparently creating an oil slick stretching several kilometres into open water. We’ll unpack the strike, the satellite evidence, the logistics pain for Moscow, and why this energy war matters for Ukraine’s survival through a tough winter campaign. (Reuters)What happened at Tuapse — the night of Nov. 1–2? In the early hours of Nov. 2, long-range Ukrainian drones hit the Tuapse oil terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast. Russian regional authorities acknowledged two foreign-flag vessels were damaged and that fires broke out at the terminal; footage showed a tanker ablaze alongside port infrastructure. The latest tally puts the damage higher than the admitted losses. Reuters summed it bluntly: “A Ukrainian drone attack struck one of Russia’s main Black Sea oil ports… causing a fire and damaging at least one ship.” (Nov. 2). (Reuters)----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'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.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-drone-attack-damages-russias-tuapse-port-sparks-fire-russia-says-2025-11-01/https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-strike-russia-tuapse-oil-terminal/33579429.htmlhttps://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-reportedly-strikes-oil-terminal-in-russias-krasnodar-krai/https://www.kyivpost.com/post/63457https://united24media.com/latest-news/satellite-images-reveal-pipeline-rupture-and-tanker-fire-at-russian-tuapse-oil-terminal-13043https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/11/04/spill-discovered-in-black-sea-after-ukrainian-strike-on-tuapse-oil-terminal-bbc-a91030https://maritime-executive.com/article/satellite-imaging-confirms-oil-spill-at-port-of-tuapsehttps://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/8/10/875https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-paralyzes-russias-key-black-sea-oil-terminals-with-drone-strikes-hur-source-claims/https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russian-energy-facilities-targeted-drone-attacks-2025-08-22/----------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----------

Silicon Bites Ep264 - Day 1,349 - 2025-11-03 | Washington trims forces in NATO’s front line member state, causing concern in some quarters, and signalling weakness and withdrawal in the face of a revanchist Russia. This broad geopolitical canvas unfolds as Moscow hammers Ukraine’s grid and Kyiv hits back, deep and hard, at Russia’s fuel arteries. Drones stalk a base in Belgian thought to host U.S. nukes, China’s refiners blink on Russian oil, and Brussels looks for a way to keep Ukraine’s accession moving — whether Orbán tries to throw a spanner in the works or not. Is the U.S. easing off Europe’s front line? Romania confirmed the first cut of U.S. troops on NATO’s eastern flank — ending a rotating brigade spread across several countries and lowering numbers at Mihail Kogălniceanu air base to 1,000. (Reuters)----------SOURCES: EU Council – 19th Russia sanctions package (Oct 23, 2025)https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/10/23/19th-package-of-sanctions-against-russia-eu-targets-russian-energy-third-country-banks-and-crypto-providers/U.S. Treasury – Russia oil sanctions press release (Oct 2025)https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0290AP – Belgium: drones near Kleine-Brogel likely espionage (Nov 3, 2025)https://apnews.com/article/f58ee237a6b2f28e011391ff7fcaa8deReuters – Belgium probes drone sightings over military base (Oct 29, 2025)https://www.reuters.com/world/belgium-investigates-new-drone-sightings-over-military-base-2025-10-29/Kyiv Independent – EU Commission seeks to sustain Ukraine’s accession momentum (Nov 3, 2025)https://kyivindependent.com/european-commission-seeks-political-signal-to-bypass-hungary-to-progress-technical-accession-work-with-ukraine/NV – Crimean Bridge bans EVs/hybrids (Nov 1, 2025)https://english.nv.ua/nation/russia-bans-electric-vehicles-from-crimean-bridge-50557189.htmlKyiv Independent – Mazda loses right to reclaim Russian assets (Nov 3, 2025)https://kyivindependent.com/mazda-first-automaker-to-lose-right-to-reclaim-russian-assets/----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

2025-11-03 | Silicon Wafers 047 | DAILY UPDATES | Putin wants everyone to think he’s a tough nut – uncrackable in fact. And the Oreshnik missile system is an extension of his threat and bluster, one might even say symbolic of his authority and virility. But the Oreshnik appears to have been cracked by Ukraine. Let’s explore this! “Oreshnik” (the hazel nut), is one of the Kremlin’s latest so-called wonder weapons. A hypersonic, nuclear-capable, intermediate-range ballistic missile that Vladimir Putin has hyped as “unstoppable.” But much to his annoyance, OI presume, Ukraine says its security and intelligence services—the SBU, HUR, and foreign intelligence — located it, reached it, and destroyed it deep inside Russia. Not on the frontline or while being transported. This apparently happened at the Kapustin Yar missile range in Astrakhan Oblast. And they claim to have achieved this months ago — quietly, surreptitiously — then revealed it at a Kyiv briefing late last week. (The Kyiv Independent)It raises so many questions. How they did it. Why operational silence with regards to the achievement, and of course Russia has chosen silence, for perhaps more obvious reasons. ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'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.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: The Moscow Times — “Ukraine Says It Destroyed Oreshnik Missile Inside Russia” (Oct. 31, 2025): * Kyiv Independent — “Ukraine’s spy agencies destroyed Putin’s vaunted ‘Oreshnik’ missile deep inside Russian territory, Zelensky says” (Oct. 31, 2025)UNITED24 — “Russia Still Holds Six ‘Oreshnik’ Missiles With 5,000-km Range, Zelenskyy Warns” (Oct. 31, 2025)Ukrainska Pravda — “Belarusian leader warns he may use Oreshnik missiles…” (Nov. 1, 2025)Ukrainska Pravda — “Russia used Oreshnik medium-range missile to attack Ukraine, Putin says” (Nov. 21, 2024)Reuters — “New Russian missile fired at Ukraine carried warheads without explosives, sources say” (Nov. 26, 2024)Reuters graphic explainer — “Inside Russia’s new missile, ‘Oreshnik’” (Nov. 27–28, 2024)----------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----------

Phil Ittner is a veteran broadcast journalist now working independently in Ukraine. Currently he's based in Kyiv and produces a weekly interview podcast "On the Edge". Disillusioned with how mainstream media was covering the historic war in Ukraine, Phil decided he had to step in and bring a professional and credible perspective to reporting from Ukraine. ----------LINKS: @PhilipIttner https://x.com/IttnerPhiliphttps://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-ittner-4180271a/https://philipittner.com/about/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/45-the-big-interview-philip-ittner-on-the-realities/id1617276298?i=1000610636024----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Once again Silicon Curtain has teamed up with Car4Ukraine and a group of wonderful creators to provide much-needed assistance: https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtainAutumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)We'll be supporting troops in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv, and other regions where the trucks are needed the most. 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalionhttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------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/----------

2025-11-02 | Silicon Wafers 046 | DAILY UPDATES | Deep strikes: HUR says it hit a military fuel pipeline near Moscow. Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) says it struck the Koltsevoy pipeline — a 400-km ring feeding Russian forces — in the Moscow Oblast on Oct. 31, calling it a disruption to the supply of jet fuel and diesel flow. Local authorities in Zhukovsky cited “automatic equipment shutdowns” for the blackout — consistent with grid protection behaviour after a shock to the system. We’ve not seen Russian official confirmation of pipeline damage, but of course, the greater the damage and more strategic the impact, the less likely the Kremlin regime is to comment. (Kyiv Independent, Nov. 1)Overnight on October 31, 2025, Ukraine’s military intelligence — HUR — took a swing not at the now familiar Russian oil refining facilities, but at the circulatory system that keeps Moscow’s military logistics pumping. They hit the Koltsevoy petroleum-products pipeline — “koltsevoy” literally means ring — in Moscow Oblast’s Ramensky district and blew out all three lines in a coordinated attack. HUR says the line is about 400 km long and moves gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from refineries in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow to military consumers. Ukrainian officials called it a “serious blow” to Russian logistics. The implication is that a new, and highly strategic campaign has begun against the Russian war machine, and this fight is being taken deep into the home front. (AP News)----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'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.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: "…paralyzing large areas of the Russian capital.” — The New Voice of Ukraine, Nov. 1, 2025"Emergency situation in the power system.” — Zhukovsky administration via NV, Nov. 1, 2025“Cripple power supplies as winter approaches.” — PM Yulia Svyrydenko via Reuters, Oct. 30, 2025“This is not a nuclear test.” — Dmitry Peskov, The Moscow Times, Oct. 30, 2025“Deeply concerned.” — PACE monitors on Georgia bans, Oct. 29, 2025----------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/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----------

Silicon Bites Ep263 - Day 1,348 - 2025-11-02 | Moscow goes dark. Trains stall, pumps stop, traffic snarls — and the Kremlin scrambles for a credible cover story. Let’s unpack what failed, who’s blaming whom, and why it matters for the winter energy war. – the attritional struggle to disrupt and destroy resources and energy logistics that will determine which side eventually prevails in the war. What’s happened in the last 72 hours: Ukraine hits a key military fuel pipeline near Moscow, Russia slams Ukraine’s grid again, the Kremlin seems to backtrack over “nuclear tests”. Moscow’s big blackout — what happened; why it matters. Overnight on Oct. 31, a widespread power outage hit Moscow and parts of the Moscow Oblast. According to NV (citing Russian sources), “a widespread power outage left parts of Moscow without electricity… paralyzing large areas of the Russian capital” and disrupted water supply, trolleybus and tram lines, while 43 metro trains were halted in tunnels — early estimates put the number at 20,000 passengers stranded on trains. NV also reports the Paveletsky rail terminal was disrupted while other airports and stations largely kept operating. (The New Voice of Ukraine, Nov. 1, 10:24 a.m.)----------SOURCES: "…paralyzing large areas of the Russian capital.” — The New Voice of Ukraine, Nov. 1, 2025"Emergency situation in the power system.” — Zhukovsky administration via NV, Nov. 1, 2025“Cripple power supplies as winter approaches.” — PM Yulia Svyrydenko via Reuters, Oct. 30, 2025“This is not a nuclear test.” — Dmitry Peskov, The Moscow Times, Oct. 30, 2025“Deeply concerned.” — PACE monitors on Georgia bans, Oct. 29, 2025----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/-----------

2025-11-01 | Silicon Wafers 045 | DAILY UPDATES | His Putin blown his advantage? Through his addition to war, his obsession with the erasure of Ukraine, and the relentless tricks and lying, has he turned Trump against him? Or is this merely a spat between presumptive monarchs? A tussle of tyrants? A clash of unroyal kings? This episode, Tomahawks, deterrence, and whether Putin has misplayed the long game, to his detriment, forcing Trump, against his will, to side with Ukraine to take Russia down a peg. In this episode, we’re tackling the “will they / won’t they” saga of U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles for Ukraine — what it would take to get them delivered, what they could hit, and why even the debate, let alone delivery, is already shaping behaviour in Moscow. We’ll track the decision timeline, decode the tech, weigh the escalation risks, and answer the bigger question: did Putin overplay his hand with Trump, forcing Washington to take harder options? ----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'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.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: https://www.reuters.com/world/sending-tomahawk-missiles-ukraine-remains-under-review-says-natos-rutte-2025-10-24/https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-tomahawk-missile-shipments-ukraine-unlikely-sources-say-2025-10-02/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-tomahawk-supply-ukraine-would-destroy-us-relations-2025-10-05/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-medvedev-says-supplying-us-tomahawks-ukraine-could-end-badly-all-2025-10-13/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-curbs-power-supplies-after-attack-energy-facilities-kyiv-says-2025-10-30/https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russian-attack-cuts-power-hundreds-thousands-northern-ukraine-2025-10-21/https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-strikes-ukraine-dwellings-targets-energy-sites-mass-attack-2025-10-10/https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-introduces-power-cuts-across-all-regions-after-recent-russian-attacks-2025-10-15/https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russia-uses-missile-ukraine-that-led-trump-quit-nuclear-treaty-kyiv-says-2025-10-31/----------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----------

Silicon Bites Ep262 - Day 1,346 - 2025-10-31 | Russia’s War Economy Is Eating Itself. The Kremlin’s “military-Keynesian” sugar high is fading. The budget is creaking, sovereign reserves are thin, taxes are going up, and Russia’s elites are grumbling – but are they plotting? Given the risks of being found out, and the unfortunate consequences of that, probably not. As one economist put it: the state is pouring money into things “destined to be burned on the battlefield.” We ask: is the crunch now worse—politically, if not statistically—than the 1990s? And how long can Putin keep the elites onside while the economy consumes itself?----------SOURCES: Carnegie Politika — Alexandra Prokopenko, “New Budget Confirms the Russian Public Is Paying for the War,” Oct 1, 2025Reuters — “Russian finance ministry proposes raising VAT…” Sept 24, 2025Financial Times — “Russia to raise value added tax rate to 22%…” Sept 2025Reuters — “Russia’s budget deficit… Jan–May 2025 1.5% of GDP,” June 10, 2025Reuters — Central bank rate cut 50 bps to 16.5%, Oct 24, 2025Meduza — “Raising the pressure: Trump is hitting Russia with sanctions…,” Oct 28, 2025Meduza — “We expected the war to end” (elite attitudes), Jan 9, 2025The Moscow Times — “Russia’s Labor Shortage Persists…,” July 31, 2025The Moscow Times (wire/Reuters) — “Russia plans debut sovereign yuan bond,” Oct 31, 2025----------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----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------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----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/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/-----------