Deputy battalion commander, Leyla Abdullayeva, has first-hand experience of K-2’s transformation from a conventional formation into a specialist unmanned-systems brigade. Leyla Abdullayeva, callsign "Saracyn", is a Ukrainian servicewoman who worked in IT for 13 years before the full-scale invasion. Today she heads the strike drone company of the 20th separate brigade of the K-2 Unmanned Systems Forces. She began her military service as a reconnaissance-drone operator before moving into heavy strike-drone operations and has taken part in fighting around the approaches to Siversk. On February 23, 2026, the President of Ukraine awarded her the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree, and Leyla also has the Order "For Courage". ----------LINKS:https://u24.gov.ua/sky-defense?utm_source=silicon-curtain&utm_medium=bloggers&utm_campaign=sky-defense----------Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, many things have changed. The terrorist state has stopped even pretending to spare civilians in peaceful cities for a long time now. Constant shelling has become a daily occurrence. Terror hasn’t stopped — only increased. Unable to win on the battlefield, russia keeps targeting civilians, trying to force them into submission. All of that calls for a new approach.As Ukraine enters this crucial phase that will define its future, United24 must focus our joint efforts on protecting it from being erased by drones and missiles. Desperate times call for composed measures and efficient solutions. United24 are making air defense its main priority. Both on the frontline, and behind it. Help to support this powerful initiative!----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

The event has a simple purpose: to examine the changing nature of the threat to the UK, particularly from Russia, and consider whether our peacetime mentality, approaches and levels of preparedness are keeping pace with this level of determined malignancy. It will explore how government might respond more effectively to escalating ‘hybrid’ threats; how the public can be better informed and engaged without creating unnecessary alarm; and what Ukraine’s experience can teach us about strengthening national resilience against sustained, multi-domain challenges.----------Dominic Murphy QPM MSt (Cantab) – Recently retired Commander SO15. Liubov Velychko — Ukrainian investigative journalist, Senior Researcher on FIMI at the Institute of Cyber Warfare Research.Daniela Richterova – Associate Professor Kings College London, Department of War Studies.Natia Seskuria – Head of the Russia, Eurasia and Black Sea Security Programme at RUSI). Elena Davlikanova — Senior fellow at the Sahaidachnyi Security Centre.Helen Maguire BEM MP—the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - 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/----------PLATFORMS:Substack: https://substack.com/@siliconcurtainTwitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm----------

Silicon Bites Ep435 | 2026-10-27 | Why can’t good news be unambiguously good? And why does it feel like we are taking three steps forward and two steps back, always, every year of this full-scale war. Ukraine is moving towards victory, and the world is trying to pull it back, like a dragging anchor. Give Russia chances over and again to recover and keep fighting, not collapsing. Serbia's students toppled Putin’s man in Belgrade, then amid the euphoria, it emerged that they may want to keep his Russia policy, in fact, make it worse by banning the exports of weapons – munitions that the previous regime seemed happy to sell to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Washington tries to hand the UN to Viktor Orbán. I thought we’d got rid of that guy?!----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------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.org----------SOURCES:CNN / AP — Serbia's leader concedes defeat to student-led movement in seismic political shift (25 Oct 2026)NBC News / AP — Serbia's strongman leader Vučić concedes defeat to student-led movement (25–26 Oct 2026)Al Jazeera — Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian leader brought down by students (26 Oct 2026)NPR — "The smell of freedom": Serbia's student movement celebrates election triumph (26 Oct 2026)Hromadske — Serbia's election winners oppose sanctions on Russia and pledge to halt arms exports to war zones (Reuters) (26 Oct 2026)UNN — Serbia may halt arms exports to Ukraine — Reuters (27 Oct 2026)LIGA.net — Reuters: Serbian election winners want to halt arms exports that end up in Ukraine (AdriaDefense caveat) (27 Oct 2026)Ukranews — Serbia's new government will not impose sanctions against Russia and intends to halt arms sales to Ukraine (Gazprom 2.2 bcm) (27 Oct 2026)UkrMedia — The winners of the elections in Serbia want to halt arms supplies to Ukraine (Jovo Bakić on RT Balkan) (26 Oct 2026)Euronews — Trump officials back Orbán bid for UN secretary-general, WSJ reports (Sikorski reaction) (26 Oct 2026)Kyiv Post — Trump to nominate Viktor Orbán as UN Secretary General (26 Oct 2026)Ahram Online — Trump administration floats Viktor Orbán for UN secretary-general: WSJ (26 Oct 2026)----------