Silicon Curtain

Edition No194 | 19-07-2025 - The divisive and controversial “Russia Hoax” has made a reappearance on the political scene, and this time it’s the ringmaster of politics, Donald Trump that has reanimated it. And there is nothing accidental about the timing as the Epstein scandal deepens and broadens. Grab your tin-foil hats—because we’re diving into the *alleged* “Russia Hoax”, or rather the claims that the Hoax that was not a hoax was a Democratic deep state hoax. Confused – you should be. Concerned – you will be. Cue ominous circus clown music.----------DESCRIPTION:The Russia Hoax Revisited: Trump's Tactics & The Epstein ConnectionIn this episode of Silicon Bites, we dive into the re-emergence of the controversial Russia hoax, spearheaded once again by Donald Trump. As the Epstein scandal continues to unfold, the timing of this resurgence is anything but accidental. We analyze the mechanics behind the Russia hoax, its inception in 2016, the findings of the Mueller Report, and the Steele Dossier. Additionally, we explore Russia's cyber warfare capabilities and intent to meddle in democratic processes worldwide. We also cover Trump's current legal battles, media deflections, and the political strategies aimed at distracting public attention from new explosive revelations. Buckle up for an in-depth breakdown of one of the most contentious topics in modern political history.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Support Acknowledgment00:17 The Russia Hoax Revisited00:52 Understanding the Russia Hoax03:45 Election Hacking Allegations06:26 The Steele Dossier09:34 Russia's Cyber Warfare Capabilities11:48 Trump's Deflection Tactics13:33 Epstein Scandal and Political Fallout16:46 Trump vs. Murdoch: The Media Battle18:12 Legal and Political Escalations20:04 Conclusion and Future Expectations----------LINKS: https://www.justsecurity.org/44697/steele-dossier-knowing/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steele_dossierhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Steelehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_Intelligence_Committee_report_on_Russian_interference_in_the_2016_United_States_presidential_electionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mueller_reporthttps://www.thedailybeast.com/putin-pals-say-trumps-russia-threat-is-just-an-epstein-smokescreen/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/jul/19/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-files-latest-news-wall-street-journal-ruper-murdoch-maga-us-politicshttps://www.axios.com/2025/07/18/epstein-trump-murdoch-relationship-wsjhttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-sues-wall-street-journal-over-epstein-report-seeks-10-billion-2025-07-18/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/jul/18/donald-trump-epstein-files-wsj-birthright-citizenship-cryptocurrency-us-politics-live-news-updateshttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-trump-spent-years-stoking-dark-theories-and-why-hes-facing-epstein-case-blowback-nowhttps://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/12/14/a-tycoons-deep-state-conspiracy-divehttps://nypost.com/2025/07/15/us-news/trump-hits-back-at-reporter-asking-if-hes-named-in-jeffrey-epstein-files-at-center-of-maga-firestorm/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/24/what-steele-dossier-said-vs-what-mueller-report-said/https://www.thedailybeast.com/tulsi-gabbard-feeds-maga-an-obama-conspiracy-amid-epstein-blowback/ ----------

Livestream with Jonathan MS Pearce and Andrew Perpetua. Focusing on the alleged connections between Jeffrey Epstein and Russian Intelligence, the state of the Russian war economy, Putin's rapidly degrading war machine, and the problems in Russia's military industrial complex. ----------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----------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 Przemyslhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------

Edition No193 | 18-07-2025 - After episodes that focused on the utterances of Igor Girkin (Strelkov), here is another repugnant character, but one nonetheless that is speaking out about the ineptitude and pointlessness of Putin’s war against Ukraine. Is this the start of a Z-Patriot rebellion, something that Putin is likely far more fearful of, than the so-called liberal opposition. Z Rebellion: Gubarev, Putin, and the Cracking Facade of Russian Ultra-Loyalism. Today’s episode: how a strange group of bloggers, loud mouths, and battlefield fantasists — the so-called Z-Patriots — are turning on their own emperor – or at least starting to point in his direction and proclaim that the emperor has no clothes on. Our criminal Russian nationalist of the week? Pavel Gubarev. The former governor of the self-proclaimed Peoples of Donetsk in 2014. Once a proud foot soldier of Russia’s imperialist crusade — now sounding alarm bells that Putin’s army is losing. And claiming the losses are spectacular. With Igor Strelkov in jail, Gubarev has inherited his crown — not as a leader of troops, but of outrage. And his new role? Frontline Cassandra. Warning that defeat is near while the Kremlin fiddles and drops glide bombs on Ukrainian apartment blocks yet has no military strategy.----------DESCRIPTION:----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------CHAPTERS:----------LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1TrJyUJljs&t=710shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQesztN6TeAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wixw7suSFjUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNYc7tZxa5ohttps://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/ukraine-russia-war-donetsk-putin-b2200925.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Gubarev ----------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/----------

A comprehensive investigation by DFRLab and OpenMinds exposes a vast, coordinated Russian bot network exploiting Telegram to disseminate pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian propaganda across occupied Ukrainian territories. ----------Yuliia Dukach leads Disinformation Investigations at OpenMinds, focusing on Cognitive Threats Intelligence and Response, ensuring that their research translates into real-world impact. That’s what makes the work of OpenMinds unique, as it combines analysis and reporting with the clear intention to counter Russian disinformation operations. Previously Yuliia worked at Texty, where she uncovered the hidden mechanisms of influence — such as the lingering presence of Soviet-era street names before Ukraine’s decommunization efforts. Now she is fully immersed in one of Ukraine’s most pressing challenges — Russian information warfare. Tackling disinformation at scale, working with big data, machine learning, and AI-driven detection methods. ----------REPORT:https://www.openminds.ltd/reports/digital-occupation-pro-russian-bot-networks-target-ukraines-occupied-territories-on-telegram----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/ydukachhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliia-dukach/ https://www.openminds.ltd/ https://texty.org.ua/----------DESCRIPTION:Exposing Russia's Telegram Bot Networks: A Deep Dive with Yuliia DukachIn this episode, we delve into a groundbreaking report by DFR Lab and OpenMinds, unveiling a massive coordinated Russian bot network exploiting Telegram to spread pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Our guest, Yuliia Dukach, a lead disinformation investigator at Open Minds, shares insights from the report, discussing the significance of Telegram in Russia's disinformation strategy, the collaboration between DFR Lab and OpenMinds, and the technical and strategic aspects of Russian bot operations. We also explore Russia's efforts to control information in occupied Ukrainian territories and the impact of these disinformation campaigns on public perception.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction to Russian Bot Network Investigation00:17 Meet Yuliia Dukach: Disinformation Expert01:15 The Role of Telegram in Russian Propaganda03:45 Collaboration Between DFR Lab and OpenMinds06:25 Russian Control Over Occupied Territories09:29 Scale and Impact of Russian Bot Networks18:41 Pro-Russian and Anti-Ukrainian Narratives24:59 Challenges in Countering Russian Disinformation51:52 Conclusion and Further Reading----------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.

Edition No192 | 17-07-2025 - What has been the reaction to Trump’s ultimatum of military backing and sanctions increases after 50 days? We break down Western and Ukrainian responses, but crucially also the reaction from Russian leaders and propagandists. Without giving too much away, the Russian reaction can be summarized as “so what”. It seems they have heard all these threats before, from stopping the war in 24 hours, to two weeks, two weeks, two weeks, two weeks. And now it’s 50 days; I don’t think they take the threat seriously. They still believe Trump is largely acting in their interests. Are they delusional to think so? Will this hubris and endless aggression eventually lead to the collapse of Russia? Let’s unpack all this in today’s episode – and Russians’ attitude to the war, “Why Stop…”.----------DESCRIPTION:Analyzing Trump's 50-Day Ultimatum to Russia: Impacts and ReactionsIn this episode of Silicon Bites, we delve into the global reactions to Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Russia, promising military backing and increased sanctions. We explore the dismissive reaction from Russian leaders, responses from Western and Ukrainian politicians, and the skepticism surrounding the effectiveness of the ultimatum. The discussion covers potential outcomes, including increased Russian aggression, the impact on the Ukrainian conflict, and the broader implications for international relations. We also highlight calls for immediate action and a unified Western policy to counter Russia’s ongoing military strategies in Ukraine.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction: The Provocative Question00:31 Trump's Ultimatum and Reactions01:57 Western and Ukrainian Responses02:33 Russian Dismissal and Propaganda05:26 European Disarray and Sanctions Debate06:23 Military Aid and Strategic Implications08:06 Russia's Summer Offensive11:39 Conclusion: The Need for Unified Action----------LINKS: https://x.com/JuliaDavisNews https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3072ezle7yo https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/16/politics/ukraine-russia-putin-trump-strategy-shift-analysis https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-trump-ukraine-war-ceasefire-ultimatum-sanctions-unacceptable/ https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-zelenskyy-eb878d323d03656d9496d927ebb9e1c4 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/14/trump-gives-russia-50-days-to-resolve-ukraine-war-a89813 https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4015860-latvian-fm-urges-trump-to-impose-russia-sanctions-now-not-wait-50-days.html https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-war-latest-trump-to-announce-ukraine-weapons-plan-as-un-chief-visits-washington-12541713 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-trump-50-day-peace-deal-sanctions-b2789842.html https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/15/europe/putin-window-ukraine-war-trump-analysis-intl-hnk https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-50-day-deadline-russia/https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/16/trump-sanctions-braze-latvia-00459093https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-medvedev-says-preemptive-strikes-against-west-could-be-needed-tass-2025-07-17/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/17/ukraine-war-briefing-weapons-will-be-europes-support-to-ukraine-not-trumps-kallas-suggestshttps://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trump-can-end-ukraine-war-with-secondary-sanctions-says-zelensky-aide-fcn7b8x2s ----------