Silicon Bites Ep316 | 2026-04-12 | Orbán falls: the strongman who ran out of tricks and cons. Another one bites the dust. Tonight, on the banks of the Danube, tens of thousands of Hungarians are chanting "Russian, go away" — and Viktor Orbán, the European Union's longest-serving leader, the self-styled architect of "illiberal democracy," the man Donald Trump's MAGA movement called the future of the West… has just phoned his rival to concede defeat. After sixteen years. After four straight victories. After rewriting the constitution, capturing the courts, gerrymandering the map, and turning state media into a personal megaphone — Orbán has been beaten. And not by a sliver. Not by a recount margin. By a landslide so wide that, in the words of his conqueror, it is "visible from the moon and every window in Hungary." The numbers first, because the numbers are staggering. With around 77 percent of precincts counted, Péter Magyar's Tisza party — that's the Party of Respect and Freedom — is sitting on roughly 53 percent. Orbán's Fidesz: 38. According to The Irish Times, Tisza is projected to take 138 of the 199 seats in Hungary's parliament. Fidesz collapses from 133 seats in 2022 down to 54. That's not a defeat. That's a demolition. And here's the kicker: Tisza is on course for a two-thirds supermajority — the exact same constitutional sledgehammer Orbán used to entrench himself for a decade and a half. Now it belongs to the man who wants to dismantle his machine that operated in favour of a corrupt clique and the Kremlin. Turnout? Over 77 percent by 6:30 in the evening — the AP and PBS both reporting it as a record in post-Communist Hungarian history. Magyar told the crowd in Budapest that 3.3 million Hungarians voted for him — more than any party has ever received in the country's democratic era. ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain https://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation ---------- SOURCES: Al Jazeera — "Peter Magyar's Tisza wins Hungary election as Viktor Orban concedes" (12 April 2026): PBS NewsHour / AP wire — "Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concedes defeat after 'painful' election result" (12 April 2026) CNN Live — "Hungary election: Trump ally Viktor Orbán concedes landmark defeat after 16 years in power" (12 April 2026) NBC News — "Viktor Orbán concedes defeat as Hungary's Tisza Party heads for election win" (12 April 2026) NBC News — "After 16 years in power, Putin's closest friend in Europe faces a pivotal election" (11 April 2026) CBC News — "Hungarian voters reject Trump-Putin ally Orbán in favour of pro-West rival Magyar" (12 April 2026) The Irish Times — "Viktor Orban concedes defeat in Hungarian election as opposition heads for landslide win" (12 April 2026) TIME — "Far Right Leader Viktor Orbán Ousted by Voters After 16 Years in Power. Here's What That Means" (12 April 2026) ---------- SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtain https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras Our 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 We 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 ----------

Livestream with Yuri Rashkin LINKS: https://rashkinreport.substack.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rashkin-report/id1183073638 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain https://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation ---------- Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain The Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community: - 1 armoured battle-ready pickup We are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles? https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain - The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour. - The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour. - 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city. - 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ---------- SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtain https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras Our 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 We 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 ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ -----------

Ben Hodges is a retired United States Army officer, who became commander of United States Army Europe in November 2014, and held that position for three years until retiring from the United States Army in January 2018. Until recently he was the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, specialising in NATO, Transatlantic relationship and international security. ---------- 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/podcast https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/ https://substack.com/@protectingtherepublic https://x.com/ddebatto https://www.kyivpost.com/authors/743 ---------- ACTIVE CAMPAIGN: We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire Drones Silicon 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-vampires These 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. ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain https://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation ---------- PLATFORMS: Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtain Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm ---------- DESCRIPTION: Rubio’s NATO Safeguard, Iran Ceasefire Confusion, and NATO’s Trump Test | Ben Hodges Discussion The hosts discuss a declared two-week ceasefire involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, Iran’s claim it was violated, and uncertainty over Iran’s reported 10-point proposal, arguing U.S. messaging has lost credibility amid negotiations lacking professional diplomats. They assess claims of “regime change” in Iran as making leadership more repressive and empowering the IRGC, and compare U.S. misjudgments to Iraq. They examine what Russia gains from reduced U.S. pressure and debate NATO’s resilience despite hostile White House rhetoric, noting a quiet Trump–NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meeting and Rubio-backed legislation limiting a president’s ability to leave NATO. They discuss risks of U.S. troop redeployments, Europe’s agency, the likelihood of Russian/Chinese opportunism, Ukraine’s improving battlefield attrition, and confidence senior U.S. officers would refuse illegal orders. The episode ends promoting crowdfunding for Vampire drones for Ukraine. ---------- CHAPTERS: 00:00 NATO Exit Safeguards 00:13 Iran Ceasefire Breakdown 02:32 Iran’s Demands and US Leverage 03:19 Regime Change Backfires 04:32 IRGC Power Reality Check 07:17 Diplomacy Credibility Crisis 09:32 Russia’s Gains and NATO Resilience 12:08 Windows for Russia and China 15:44 Ukraine Turning the Tide 17:35 Trump Meets NATO Chief 20:49 Europe’s Agency in NATO 23:25 Military and Illegal Orders ----------

Silicon Bites Ep315 | 2026-04-09 | Cutting Russia’s oil arteries: Ukraine hits the pumping station feeding Novorossiysk — as the forced de-carbonisation of Russia’s war machine accelerates. Three days after Ukrainian drones turned Novorossiysk's loading piers into a bonfire visible from space, Kyiv did something more surgical — and in some ways more devastating. On the night of 8–9 April 2026, Ukrainian long-range drones struck the pipeline artery that feeds Russia's single most important Black Sea oil export hub. The target was the Krymskaya Linear Production and Dispatch Station — the Krymskaya LPDS — near the town of Krymsk in Krasnodar Krai. This is not a random facility. It is the pumping station that pushes oil and petroleum products down four separate trunk pipelines: the Tikhoretsk–Novorossiysk 1 and 2.3 lines, the Krymsk–Grushovaya, and the Krymsk–Krasnodar. Every one of those pipelines feeds the Novorossiysk port complex — the Sheskharis terminal, the Grushovaya storage depot — and the Ilsky and Afipsky refineries that process crude bound for both export and Russia's domestic fuel market. Krymskaya is operated by Chernomortransneft, a subsidiary of Russia's state pipeline monopoly Transneft. Kyiv Post, citing the independent Russian Telegram outlet Astra on 9 April, called it "one of the largest" pumping stations in the entire Krasnodar region. ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain https://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation ---------- SOURCES: Kyiv Post — "Ukrainian Drones Target Major Oil Artery Feeding Novorossiysk Export Hub," 9 April 2026. Militarnyi — "Drone Strike Hits Substation at Krymskaya Oil Pumping Station in Krasnodar Krai," 9 April 2026. Kyiv Independent — "Ukrainian drones reportedly strike oil pumping station in Russia's Krasnodar Krai" (developing coverage), 9 April 2026. Kyiv Independent — "Novorossiysk port on fire again as Ukrainian strike campaign on Russian oil export infrastructure continues," 6 April 2026. Kyiv Independent — "Ukraine confirms strike on Russia's Ust-Luga oil terminal," 7 April 2026. Al Jazeera — "Ukraine strikes Russian Black Sea energy hub Novorossiysk," 6 April 2026. The Moscow Times — "Ukraine Hits Major Oil Terminal in Southern Russia," 6 April 2026. Bloomberg — "Ukraine Says Drones Set Russian Black Sea Oil Terminal on Fire" and Russia oil export tracking data, 6 April 2026. Ukraine Today / Exilenova+ — "Satellite Images: Ukrainian Strike Damages Oil Pipelines Near Berths 1 and 2 of Sheskharis Terminal in Novorossiysk," 7 April 2026. RFE/RL — "Ukrainian Strikes Cause 'Most Serious Threat' To Russian Oil Exports Since War Began," 26 March 2026 (Boris Aronshtein interview with Current Time). ---------- SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtain https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras Our 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 We 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 ----------

Welcome to our monthly conversation with Konstantin, who is one of the most respected voices on YouTube about what is happening Inside Russia. Konstantin Samoilov is a well-known YouTuber whose channel ‘Inside Russia’ comments insightfully on Russia’s decent into authoritarianism over the last few years. But now, like many others, he’s outside Russia, with no idea of when he can return there. ---------- LINKS: @INSIDERUSSIA https://www.patreon.com/insiderussia INSIDE RUSSIA is a source of current news on Russia - Konstantin carefully selects 9 news stories that are important and really matter, with commentaries and analyses by Konstantin delivered daily to channel patrons at Patreon.com Get your access to daily news updates at patreon.com/INSIDERUSSIA ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain https://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation ---------- ACTIVE CAMPAIGN: We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire Drones Silicon 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-vampires These 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. ---------- DESCRIPTION: Russia’s Internet Shutdown: Privileges Revoked, Hidden Mobilization, and a Possible Plot to Replace Putin Jonathan speaks with Constance Sala about Russia’s accelerating slide into authoritarianism, arguing that in the absence of rule of law Russians have privileges—not rights—and the state is now revoking “internet access” as another privilege. Sala describes longtime expectations among expats and foreign bloggers of having an “exit plan,” and says he warned since 2022 that YouTube and broader internet restrictions would arrive. They discuss how shutdowns, forced migration to a state-controlled app (Max), phone checks for VPNs/Telegram, and collapsing business activity could enable criminalization and “hidden mobilization,” while also severing horizontal social ties. Sala claims lawlessness has crossed a Rubicon, cites opaque mass livestock slaughter in Novosibirsk, and advances a theory that elites may be deliberately worsening conditions to frame Putin and install a new “savior,” likely ending the war as a first move. ---------- CHAPTERS: 02:05 Internet as Privilege 04:00 Expats Always Ready 08:12 Bans Finally Arrive 09:40 No Rights in Russia 11:19 Bubbles Burst by State 13:32 Hidden Mobilization Setup 15:58 Phone Checks and Drafting 17:50 Propaganda and Belief 20:10 Lawlessness and Max App 23:27 Zero Trust and Middle Class 27:35 Middle Class Crushed 27:54 Internet Fragmentation Plan 30:05 No Masks No Excuses 31:32 Putin Set Up Theory 36:11 Farmers And Cow Slaughter 39:13 Why Novosibirsk Sparks 40:27 Akademgorodok Dissent Roots 42:39 Engineered Savior Coup 46:08 1917 Parallels And Peace ----------

Silicon Bites Ep314 | 2026-04-08 | Putin's quiet mobilisation and the breaking of the economic volunteer model. 409,000. That's how many men Vladimir Putin needs to push into uniform in 2026 to keep his war running. It's the figure Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi put on the record in February — Russia intends to draft over 400,000 people this year and stand up at least eleven new divisions. Four hundred thousand bodies to feed into the Pokrovsk meat grinder, into the Kupyansk line, into the drone killing fields of Donetsk Oblast. Putin has created an outsourced Gulag – where any infringement of the law, any threat to the regime will get you sent to the front – a one-way ticket for anyone other than the convict class of Wagner. Where the poor and powerless, where ethnic and identity minorities, where opponents and zealots can be sent to the outsourced concentration camp of the Donbas. ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain https://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation ---------- SOURCES: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) — Analysis on Kremlin preparations for hidden draft, February 2026. Kyiv Independent — "Putin signs law allowing year-round conscription in Russia," November 4, 2025. Kyiv Post — "Putin Signs Decree to Call Up Reservists for 2026 Training," December 9, 2025. Kyiv Post — "Russian Regional Boss Orders Businesses to Find Army 'Volunteers' Among Employees" (Ryazan / Malkov decree), late March 2026. The Moscow Times — Reporting on Ryazan decree No. 17, March 2026. dagens.com / Obozrevatel — "Russia may turn to forced conscription, analysts warn" (recruitment dropping below losses), March 2026. Meduza — "Russia's conscription system will become year-round starting January 1," December 30, 2025. The Moscow Times — "Russia's New Military Recruits Dipped in 2025, Figures Show," January 16, 2026. The Moscow Times — "Regions Reintroduce Huge Sign-On Bonuses for Contract Soldiers After Lowering Payments in 2025," January 14, 2026. The Moscow Times — "Regions Calling: Governments Cut Back on Once-Lucrative Military Enlistment Payments," January 6, 2026. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtain https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras Our 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 We 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 ----------