Ukraine's bold counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast takes center stage, with mixed reports on its initial success. The influence of Russian military bloggers shapes media narratives and public perception, raising questions about reliability. The discussion highlights the strategic timing of Ukraine's actions amid shifting political landscapes in the U.S. and the potential spread of misinformation. There's a critical look at the assumptions behind media headlines and the ongoing dynamics of the conflict.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, shares his insights on the recent termination of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, which he claims is a significant blow to Moscow. He discusses how this decision might shift European energy dynamics and undermine Russia's political leverage. Zelenskyy emphasizes the historical context, noting how Russian gas shipments have plummeted from over 130 billion cubic meters to zero in recent years. He also highlights the broader economic impacts on the region and the humanitarian situation in Transdenistria and Moldova.

In a gripping discussion, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, reflects on the year's results and the chaos roiling the world. He reveals how boredom can drive leaders to war, highlighting a dangerous mindset. Putin attempts to reassure listeners about Russia's economic resilience while facing criticisms of inflated success amidst rising inflation. The conversation reveals his struggle to maintain power and stability amidst global unrest, sparking a critical examination of his approach to conflict and leadership.

Edition No71 | 01-01-2025 - As the slide toward dictatorship in Georgia accelerates, this episode will review the mechanics of law that mark an increasingly repressive and desperate regime. As we’ve examined in previous episodes, the Georgia Dream party has now ripped off the mask and shed any last vestige of ambiguity they are a Kremlin proxy party that is intent on deconstructing Georgia’s fragile democracy and subverting institutions that have been evolving since independence to bring rule of law and civic liberties to society. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A 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 frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Here is a summary of the laws brough in, posted on X by the excellent Anna Gvarishvili, who has been a recent guest on this channel. The following restrictions have bene rushed into law, and will take effect on Dec. 30: 1. Drivers joining protests with processions: If police determine such actions obstruct traffic, drivers will be fined 1,000 Lari and have driving license suspended for a year. 2. Unauthorized protest stencils/signs/posters: Fines for damaging the city’s appearance have been increased from 50 Lari to up to 1,000 Lari. 3. Blocking roads during protests: can lead to a fine on each person of 5,000 Lari (a 10-fold increase in the fine for this offence). Those deemed to be organizers, can face fines of 15,000 Lari. This rule also applies to violations under Georgia’s “Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations,” including blocking building entrances. Instead of a fine, administrative detention of up to 15 days can also be imposed. 4. Presence of pyrotechnics at protests: Regardless of whether they are used, individuals will be fined 5,000 Lari. If this is deemed an organized act, the organizer may face a fine of 15,000 Lari. Administrative detention of up to 15 days may also be applied instead of a fine. 5. Possession of laser or bright light-emitting devices: 2,000 Lari fine. 6. Covering one’s face with masks or other means: This will result in a 2,000 Lari fine. 7. Minors at protests: If a minor is deemed to have violated Article 173 (disobedience to lawful police demands), their parents will be fined for improper upbringing, with fines ranging from 100 to 300 Lari. This is the one that triggered the title of this episode, and it has sinister connotations of the pre-crime detection unit in the Sci-Fi book, Minority Report. 8. Preventive detention: Police can now detain individuals preventively, assuming they may commit an offense based on prior violations. 9. Detention for court appearance: Police can detain individuals solely to ensure their appearance in court, even if they do not refuse to attend voluntarily. This provision allows police to detain someone even if no case has yet been filed in court. 10. Expanded grounds for personal and property searches: Personal searches, inspections of items, and confiscation of belongings and documents are now permitted under these same grounds. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://oc-media.org/from-fireworks-to-the-public-sector-georgian-dream-introduces-new-legislation-amid-protests/ https://oc-media.org/us-sanctions-bidzina-ivanishvili/ https://eurasianet.org/georgia-government-set-to-pass-laws-bolstering-police-state https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-georgian-officials-responsible-for-brutal-crackdown-on-media-and-protestors https://civil.ge/archives/645520 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk01xyd22eo https://oc-media.org/when-we-get-in-the-minibus-the-fun-will-start-how-georgian-police-torture-detained-protesters/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/27/lets-see-who-will-be-leaving-georgias-presidential-standoff-nears-crunch-point ----------

✅ Go to RFU News to stay fully informed. Subscribe through my link and get 40% off unlimited access this week only: https://www.rfunews.com/christmas-sale?_from=sc ---------- See more Fog of War episodes on iWi channel - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhNpgKn-obmUmSjv8GJsVFgssVNh4YS8v ---------- In this episode of Fog of War, co-hosts Jonathan Fink and Yaroslava Bukhta discuss the experience of recording episodes in 2024, and the lessons learned from our expert guests. In this episode, we explore: 🔹 The importance of local context in reporting the war in Ukraine. 🔹 Favorite episodes and insights from episodes 1-5 of The Fog of War. 🔹 Aspirations for developing the format in 2025. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on new episodes! ---------- 🎧 Follow us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xj9aEHBbqc3VfH7mayJWB ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fog-of-war/id1782306981 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fog_of_war_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fogofwarpodcast/ ---------- View Yaroslava’s profile Yaroslava Bukhta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslava-bukhta/ https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/people/yaroslava-bukhta https://www.ukrainer.net/authors/yaroslava-bukhta-2/ https://x.com/yaroslavabukhta https://www.facebook.com/yaroslava.bukhta/ ----------

✅ Go to RFU News to stay fully informed. Subscribe through my link and get 40% off unlimited access this week only: https://www.rfunews.com/christmas-sale?_from=sc ---------- GUEST: Anders Puck Nielsen - YouTuber and military analyst. Today I’m speaking with Anders Puck Nielsen, military analyst and influential YouTuber based in Denmark. He specialises in naval warfare and strategy; in today’s video we are going to be talking about Ukrainian successes against Russia’s Black Sea fleet and state of the ground war in Ukraine. ---------- LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/@anderspuck https://twitter.com/anderspuck https://www.linkedin.com/in/anderspucknielsen/ https://apnielsen.info/en/frontpage/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- 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 Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: 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.

Valeriia Voshchevska, a Ukrainian human rights activist and digital strategist with a rich background in global digital engagement, discusses her impactful projects. She reveals how Russian warfare is financed through a shadow fleet of oil tankers and elaborates on her campaign that led Unilever to exit Russia. Valeriia emphasizes the need for effective communication strategies that address the larger narrative of Ukraine's struggles and the interconnectedness of global activism, environmental concerns, and corporate morality.

Edition No70 | 27-12-2024 - It’s a tragedy that politicians can’t seem to act on warnings alone, and the public can’t be moved to outrage, passion or action by an impending disaster or crime. Last week we had a case in point where it’s the images of thick, viscous oil washing up on the Black Sea coast. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A 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 frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Stricken oil tankers show the risks of Russia's ageing 'shadow fleet', which it uses to bypass sanctions. Although the vessel that split apart was covered by Russian insurer VSK, it’s doubtful whether the costs of the cleanup operations will be covered. The full scale of the various incidents, as well as their long-term impact on the environment are so far unknown. One crew member was killed after the Volgoneft 212 split in half, with 12 rescued, while authorities said all 14 crew aboard the Volgoneft 239, which ran aground 80 metres from the shore near the port of Taman, were also rescued. Russian authorities sought to limit the damage from oil spilled into the Kerch Strait by two ageing tankers that were damaged during a heavy weekend storm – though part of the campaign was informational, seeking to deny the seriousness, and not only focused on the physical clean-up. The ships are on average more than 50-year-old, and were carrying some 9,200 metric tons (62,000 barrels) of oil products in total. Volgoneft 212 was constructed in 1969 and Volgoneft 239 in 1973. The spill is likely to become one of the largest environmental disasters to affect the region in recent years. The Kerch Strait, which separates mainland Russia from the Moscow-annexed Crimea region, is a key route for exports of its grain and fuel products. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3939182-estonian-pm-names-two-options-facing-russian-shadow-fleet-vessels-caught-without-insurance.html https://www.ft.com/content/8a485a6b-477e-4087-83f4-eca357082d71 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-tankers-damaged-kerch-strait-were-carrying-62000-barrels-oil-products-2024-12-16/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/16/ukraine-calls-for-sanctions-against-russia-oil-tankers-over-black-sea-spill https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/12/16/russian-tankers-caught-in-storm-may-have-leaked-3k-tons-of-oil-products-state-media-a87359 https://kyivindependent.com/sinking-of-two-russian-oil-tankers-may-cause-significant-environmental-impacts-greenpeace-warns/ https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-shadow-dark-oil-tankers-sanctions-navy-warships-escort-2024-12 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- 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/ ----------

Edition No69 | 26-12-2024 - What is Christmas like, when your neighbour is a terrorist state, run without challenge or hindrance by a delusional imperialist and pervert, hooked on aggression and suffering? Russia launched a massive Christmas day attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and civilian residential targets in numerous cities, leaving more than half a million people without heating, water and electricity. Temperatures across Ukraine are around freezing point. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A 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 frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Zelenskyy, President of Ukrainian spoke with direct moral clarity when he condemned the attack as ‘inhuman’. This was the 13th large-scale assault in 2024, on the energy grid of Ukraine, in what Zelenskyy said was a deliberate series of strikes. “This was not a coincidence. What could be more inhuman?” He wrote on X. But it’s also entirely predictable. Putin always lashes out after press conferences, or visits to his court by foreign dignitaries, and of course, special dates such as Christmas hold a special fascination for his perverse mind. Attacks at Christmas and New Year as well as on significant anniversaries are entirely predictable, as is Russia’s raging desire to instil fear in its enemies, and those it seeks to control and plunder. About 50 of the 70 missiles fired were intercepted, as well as a ‘significant’ number of more than 100 attack drones launched by Russia, on this, the celebration of Christ’s birth. Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region, explained that the attack had left more than 500,000 people without heating, water and electricity at Christmas. Russia is not just a terrorist state, but also, it’s claims to be Christian one is barely plausible, given its actions of the last three years, and the genocidal character of its regime, which is enthusiastically supported and sanctified by the Moscow Patriarch, and former KGB agent. President Joe Biden said in a statement “The Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety, and the United States and the international community must continue to stand with Ukraine until it triumphs over Russia’s aggression.” Biden also reaffirmed his instruction to the Department of Defence “to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine”. ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.ft.com/content/b7b2c8d9-8eed-4620-adfe-a99e696a1dd4 https://kyivindependent.com/russia-terrorizes-ukraine-with-mass-missile-drone-attack-on-christmas-morning/ https://kyivindependent.com/the-west-is-pushing-ukraine-toward-concessions-that-will-backfire/ https://kyivindependent.com/kellogg-condemns-russias-mass-attack-against-ukraine-on-christmas-day/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- 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/ ----------

Anna Danylchuk, a Ukrainian creator known for her poignant war diary, discusses the intricate realities of life in Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict. She shares fascinating insights into Ukrainian Christmas traditions, connecting them to the nation's current struggles. The episode delves into the complexities of identity shaped by Russian propaganda, highlighting the cultural resilience of Ukrainians. Anna also sheds light on misconceptions surrounding Russia's societal dynamics and the challenges of democratic change in the region, blending personal anecdotes with profound reflections.