Silicon Curtain

There are many strong voices supporting Ukraine, and many Ukrainians that are active in supporting and promoting it’s cause throughout the west. Few are more vocal and effective than Yana Rudenko, and few followed with more enthusiasm and affection. She has a strong voice on platforms like LinkedIn, and despite repeatedly being banned, she bounces back, to fight the good fight. ~~~~~ LINKS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yana-rudenko/ ~~~~~

Until February 2022, the war in Ukraine could be dismissed by some as a “quarrel in a faraway country, between people of whom we know nothing”, especially if they had been influenced by aggressive Russian propaganda and the techniques of hybrid information warfare. But in 2022 the war became full scale, and the propagandistic subterfuge was far less effective. The hot war may be in full swing, but that has not diminished the intensity of the information war. The public in the West may not consider itself at war with Russia, but the ongoing assault of the digital authoritarians on our institutions, systems and media tells a different story. Today we examine why companies can’t ignore their responsibility to help make societies and democratic institutions more resilient against the malign influence of ill-intentioned actors. ~~~~~ Olga Solovyeva is a social researcher with experience in higher education, business, and civil society organisations. Her areas of expertise areas include communication, technology, and society. She works on issues of data ethics, IT business regulation, and the relationship between the state and tech in Russia and writes on these topics for academic, professional, and general audiences. ~|~|~|~|~ Links: https://globalvoices.org/2023/04/19/why-tech-companies-can-no-longer-ignore-their-role-in-shaping-politics-and-society/ https://blogs.helsinki.fi/russianmedialab/2023/02/24/digital-authoritarianism-and-it-business-in-russia-online-talk-on-russian-media-in-march/?fbclid=IwAR3InY7bLXK_1hBjio2hpDbE4HIWy_lm1YriXxT47wDcPAm1kxt7vvi_y2o https://advox.globalvoices.org/2022/07/06/disinformation-2-0-should-we-bring-the-notion-of-propaganda-back-into-public-discourse/ https://globalvoices.org/2022/03/25/keeping-fakes-under-control-how-legislation-on-disinformation-turns-into-a-censorship-tool/ ~~~~~

Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, before the invasion of Crimea in 2014, before the Bolotnaya protests of 2012, Russia was living through so-called ‘vegetarian’ times. But the regime has turned distinctly carnivorous in 2023, and that process ratcheted up by degrees after massive protests gripped the streets in 2012. Independent news organisations like TV Rain, Echo Moscow, Meduza and Novaya Gazeta were marginalised but not outright banned. Participants in those media projects were monitored and harassed, but not arrested and exiled. Public protest was punished, but sentences could be counted in days and months, not years or decades. The opposition led by Navalny could even field candidates in local elections. Now the state is red in tooth and claw once more. Oppositionists face a terrible dilemma – Save your skin and fight on or try to maintain your honour and be buried in the prison system, from which you may never emerge. ~~~~~ Owen Matthews is a British writer, historian, and journalist. His first book, Stalin's Children, was shortlisted for the 2008 Guardian First Book Award and the Orwell Prize for political writing. He is a former Moscow and Istanbul Bureau Chief for Newsweek. Owen is half-Russian, speaks the language to a native level and studied Modern History at Christ Church, Oxford. From 2006 to 2012 he was Newsweek's Moscow Bureau Chief and is now a Contributing Editor at the magazine. In 2014 he reported for Newsweek on the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, and this year wrote one of the first substantial books on the 2022 full-scale war: Overreach: Inside Story of Putin's War Against Ukraine. ~~~~~ LINKS: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-terrible-choice-facing-russias-opposition-stay-or-go/ https://twitter.com/owenmatth https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenbmatthews/ ~~~~~

Edition No7 | 17-03-2023 Opposition Divisions - the Challenges Facing Alexei Navalny and the Russian Opposition ~~~~~ FEATURED ARTICLES: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/02/20/navalny-sets-out-15-point-plan-for-russias-postwar-development-a80276 Navalny Sets Out 15-Point Plan for Russia's Postwar Development Updated: Feb. 20, 2023 ~~~~~ NEWS LINKS: The Moscow Times From Gershkovich to Gadzhiev: 9 Journalists Jailed in Russia https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/22/from-gershkovich-to-gadzhiev-9-journalists-jailed-in-russia-a80883 By Leyla Latypova 22nd April 2023 Russia Begins Issuing Digital Military Summons – Reports https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/21/russia-begins-issuing-digital-military-summons-reports-a80902 By Leyla Latypova April 21, 2023 Kremlin Pushed for Pro-Russia Coalition in Germany – WP https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/21/kremlin-pushed-for-pro-russia-coalition-in-germany-wp-a80899 April 21, 2023 Russia Replaces Baltic, Pacific Fleet Commanders https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/21/russia-replaces-baltic-pacific-fleet-commanders-a80905 April 21, 2023 ‘Freedom Сannot Be Shut Down’: Defiance as Russia’s Sakharov Center Holds Last Public Event https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/17/freedom-annot-be-shut-down-defiance-as-russias-sakharov-center-holds-last-public-event-a80854 April 17, 2023 ‘I Had Just Weeks or Even Days’: Lawyer of Jailed Kremlin Critic Kara-Murza Flees Russia https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/21/i-had-just-weeks-or-even-days-lawyer-of-jailed-kremlin-critic-kara-murza-flees-russia-a80901 Updated: April 21, 2023 ~~~~~

Russian Disinformation is relentless. Like floodwaters it envelops all low-lying and unprotected things and when it recedes, leaves them coated with a filthy, foul-smelling taint. We are all of us vulnerable. Russian disinformation continues to be a threat to Ukrainian sovereignty and unity, though is perhaps not as effective as it was in the years 2014-2022. Nonetheless new narratives are created and propagated continuously to try and divide, confuse, and delay the allies supporting Ukraine, and to erode support for Ukraine’s cause around the world. Aggressive information warfare still threatens information security and social stability, especially in states which Russia seeks to destabilise, confuse, or coerce politicians into supporting it. Russia is still a malign influence in the world. ~~~~~ Yuliia Dukach is a full-stack data journalist at Texty.org.ua and has extensive experience in creating a range of data-driven stories and investigating disinformation in the Ukrainian news media. Texty.org.ua is a Ukrainian Data Journalism Agency that promotes transparency and accountability by developing high-quality journalism and data journalism. Their activities include analysis and presentation of big data in an interesting and comprehensive way, in the form of interactive infographics and web applications. They investigate and research socially important topics that other media do not often raise for a number of reasons. Yuliia has a Ph.D. in Sociology and uses her sociological background and insights to bring to life text, statistics, and network data to fight Russian disinformation operations in the Ukrainian media. ~~~~~ ARTICLES & RESOURCES: https://texty.org.ua/ https://texty.org.ua/tag/disinfomonitor/ https://texty.org.ua/projects/109040/a-year-of-war/ https://texty.org.ua/projects/108323/germs-russian-world-who-supports-russia-europe/ https://texty.org.ua/projects/108161/telegram-occupation-how-russia-wanted-breed-media-monster-ended-paper-tiger/ LINKS: https://twitter.com/ydukach https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliia-dukach/ https://euvsdisinfo.eu/sanctions-do-not-work-russian-disinfo/ ~~~~~

There’s no such thing as a former KGB man, writes Mark Hollingsworth. Is the FSB an intelligence agency gone out of control, accountable to no one but itself and intent on subverting Western political institutions? The scale of Russian disinformation warfare and Active Measures is huge even when compared to their activities at the height of the Cold War. In 1985, 1,300 KGB officers were stationed in the USA. The FBI only had 350 counter-intelligence officers. Since the early days of the Cold War, the KGB seduced parliamentarians and diplomats, infiltrated the highest echelons of the Civil Service, and planted fake news in papers across the world. More disturbingly, it never stopped. ~~~~~ Mark Hollingsworth is an investigative journalist and author of 10 books, notably ‘Londongrad – From Russia with Cash, the Inside Story of the Oligarchs’ – published in 2010. He has also written biographies of Mark Thatcher and Tim Bell and acclaimed studies on MI5 and the Saudi Royal Family. He started his career working for Granada TV’s award-winning ‘World in Action’ programme and now contributes regularly to ‘The Times’, ‘Mail on Sunday’, ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Sunday Times’. His most recent articles about Russia are published in the Spectator. He is currently writing a history of the KGB. ~~~~~ BOOKS: Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and the War on Terrorism (2004) by Mark Hollingsworth, Nick Fielding Londongrad: From Russia with Cash; The Inside Story of the Oligarchs (2009) by Mark Hollingsworth, Stewart Lansley Saudi Babylon: Torture, Corruption and Cover-Up Inside the House of Saud (2012) by Mark Hollingsworth, Sandy Mitchell ~~~~~

You may not be interested in Russia. But Russia is interested in you. Writes Kier Giles in his book: Russia's War on Everybody. Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022 is a challenge to the West also, and has prompted a range of responses, but also hesitancy, anxiety, and caution. From the expansion of NATO to military investment planning, supply of equipment and training of Ukraine troops, the Western alliance, as well as many other countries, are in this war, whether they fully acknowledge and embrace it, or not. But Russia has been waging a clandestine war against the West for decades. Hostile acts abroad, from poisoning dissidents to shooting down airliners, interfering in elections, spying, hacking, and murdering, have long been part and parcel of Kremlin foreign policy. But what is it all for? Why does Russia consistently behave like this? And what does it achieve? ---------- SPEAKER: Keir Giles has spent his career watching, studying, and explaining Russia. Keir’s work has appeared in a wide range of academic and military publications across Europe and in North America, and he is a regular contributor and commentator on Russian affairs for international print and broadcast media. He is a Senior Consulting Fellow at the UK's Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and also works with the Conflict Studies Research Centre (CSRC), a group of deep subject matter experts on Eurasian security formerly attached to the British Ministry of Defence. He is a regular contributor to research projects on Russian security issues in the U.S., UK, and Europe. ---------- BOOKS: Russia's War on Everybody: And What it Means for You (2022) Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West (2019) The Turning Point for Russian Foreign Policy (2017) The State of the NATO-Russia Reset (2011) Potential Challenges to Public Order and Social Stability in the Russian Federation (2011) ----------

Rather than seeing the conflict in Russia in terms of big geopolitical concepts, like ‘multi-polar world’, it can also be seen at a much more basic level – democracy against autocracy. The area of research of my guest today will help to shed like on how a democracy reacts and evolves in reaction to a military attack, but also an informational assault over more than 8 years and becomes more resilient. We will examine how digital democracy can add to citizen participation, transparency and social cohesion. Dmytro Khutkyy is a Scholar and practitioner in digital democracy and open governance. He is a Research Fellow in Digital Governance at the University of Tartu in Estonia, Policy, and Advocacy Advisor at European Digital Development Alliance in Brussels, as well as Expert at the Institute of Innovative Governance in Ukraine. He obtained a PhD in Sociology at the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and taught sociology courses at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Subsequently, he has been involved in several international programs in Austria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, studying patterns of democratic participation under the contemporary global trends. In Ukraine, participated in grassroots civic activism within the Centre for Innovations Development, the Reanimation Package of Reforms, and Transparency International. Also evaluated and advised on reforms of the Ukraine’s government related to access to information, public accountability, and civic participation.

Putin, in his senseless war of aggression in Ukraine has resurrected death and destruction on a scale not seen since WWII, bringing misery and violence to the heart of Europe in the 20th Century. What myths and delusions led us to this point – and how can it be stopped? Today I am exploring these questions with Professor Dina Khapaeva. Dina Khapaeva is a Professor at the School of Modern Languages, at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Director research at the Smolny Institute. Dina Khapaeva's research and teaching interests lie on the intersection of cultural studies, memory studies, post-Soviet neo-medievalism, history of emotions, and death studies. Her most recent book project The Celebration of Death in Russia and America compares the ways of engaging with death and representations of violent death in Russian and American popular culture.

Cornered like a rat, Vladimir Putin is more dangerous than ever. We want his regime to be unstable, fragile, and collapsing – but 14 months of war have shown it is remarkably resilient. We wanted the Russian people to rise up against tyranny, but more than a million fled the country instead. Analysts, politicians, and the media have been wrong about so much when it comes to Russia. What are we still getting wrong. Mark Galeotti is an author and academic – by training an historian – but in practice an interdisciplinary scholar with interests encompassing politics, criminology, security studies, international relations, and anthropology. He is a specialist in transnational and organized crime, security affairs, Russian Politics, Russian History, Intelligence and Security. Mark has a PhD in Government from LSE and has worked as a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of History at Keele University. He is a Principal Director at Mayak Intelligence, and is an Honorary Professor, SSEES at UCL. He is a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He has also been Professor of Global Affairs at New York University from 2009 to 2016.