Kremlin Unmasks Putin's Betrayal - Jason Jay Smart

[TexasTowelie]

Moscow blackout and Kremlin purge are now colliding with the wider Russia Ukraine war as mobile internet restrictions in central Moscow spread deeper into the capital. Since March 6, outages have expanded from the outskirts into the city center, the metro, and areas near major state buildings and the Kremlin. In five days, business losses were estimated at $38 Million to $63 Million as card payments failed, taxis lost navigation, and deputies near parliament struggled to stay connected.

The Moscow internet outage now overlaps with an elite power struggle. Ruslan Tsalikov, Sergei Shoigu’s longtime first deputy who oversaw Defense Ministry money, contracts, and legal affairs, is under house arrest. Ivan Tkachev, a figure tied to Igor Sechin and the Federal Security Service structures that monitored banks and financial flows, has moved into military counterintelligence. That shift matters because it shows which network is losing protection and which network is gaining reach inside the Russian system.

The military and economic backdrop is worsening at the same time. Ukraine struck Kremniy El in Bryansk, a plant tied to electronics used in Russian missiles, while other attacks continued to hit Russian industrial and energy infrastructure, including Kirovo-Chepetsk. Officials are also discussing roughly 10% cuts to non-sensitive spending after oil and gas revenues fell 47% year over year in January and February.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 The Kremlin’s Wall of Silence
00:18 Rival Factions and Military Failures
01:05 The Cost of War: Burning Refineries
01:34 Purging the Old Guard: The Fall of Shoigu
02:18 The Rise of Igor Sechin
03:30 New Management: Andrei Belousov and Ivan Tkachev
04:30 Controlling the Rackets: Military Counterintelligence
05:14 Silence as a Message: Raids and Frozen Accounts
05:54 Striking the Rear: Targeting Russian Industry
07:14 The Economic Demise: Rosneft’s Deterioration
08:08 Unprofitable Enterprises and Massive Losses
08:44 Logistics in Crisis: Rail and Shipping Failures
09:28 Consolidation of Wealth: The War on Billionaires
10:08 Leaks and Blackmail: Controlling the 2026 Elections
11:13 A Regime Losing Grip: International Pressure
12:12 Documenting Crimes: The ICC and Stolen Children
13:14 Failed Sabotage: The Arrest of Denis Aliyev
14:18 From Decline to Panic: The Bulldog Fight
15:10 The Sound of Muted Conflict