Episode Details

2026-05-12 | UPDATES #200 | How Andriy Yermak fell from shadow president to suspect — and why 'down' is not the same as 'out'. 11–12 May 2026 — the day Nabu and Sapo formally charged the most powerful man in Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelensky. Is this a sign of troubling issues, or of a vibrant democracy dealing with corruption and nepotism. Why this arrest is strong proof against the Russian narrative that ‘Ukraine is a dictatorship’. This stuff does not happen in tyrannies. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon 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-vampiresThese 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.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: RBC-Ukraine — "Former Ukrainian presidential aide Yermak under investigation by anti-corruption bodies" (11 May 2026)Censor.NET — "NABU has notified former Head of the Presidential Office Yermak of the charges" (11 May 2026) Meduza — "Ukraine names Zelensky's former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, as a suspect in a major money laundering case" (11 May 2026) Euronews — "Zelenskyy's chief of staff Yermak resigns after Ukraine anti-corruption investigators raid" (28 November 2025) OCCRP — "Anti-Corruption Raids Prompt Resignation of Ukraine's Top Presidential Aide" (28 November 2025)Kyiv Independent — "Zelensky's chief of staff Yermak resigns amid Ukraine's biggest corruption scandal" (28 November 2025)NBC News — "Top Zelenskyy aide at heart of U.S. peace talks resigns after being implicated in corruption probe" (28-29 November 2025)Kyiv Independent — "Zelensky's ex-chief of staff Yermak says he's 'going to the front' after resigning amid corruption probe" (28-29 November 2025) EA WorldView — "Ukraine War, Day 1,373: Corruption Investigation of Zelensky's Chief of Staff Yermak" (28 November 2025)Ukrayinska Pravda / EMPR Media — "Ali Baba and Forty Statesmen. How Yermak Lost His Seat on the Right and wasn't Charged" (December 2025) ----------