Russia's BROKEN Economy Threatens to End Putin's Regime and Warmongering

2026-03-25 | UPDATES #154 | The economy is where the detail gets most technically damning. And here, Naki provides something Zygar's op-ed gestures at but doesn't fully document: the forensic evidence from inside the Russian financial system itself. In February 2026, the Centre for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting — known by its Russian acronym CMAKP — formally registered what it called a latent banking crisis. This is not an opposition think-tank. As Naki stresses: "This is an organisation maximally close to the authorities. The brother of Defence Minister Belousov works there. It publishes real economic data." And by its own formal criteria, the share of problem assets in the Russian banking system exceeded 10 percent. A crisis — described as "latent" because the state is actively concealing it. Banks are restructuring hopeless loans rather than writing them off. State banks are not being allowed to go bankrupt. The statistics are being massaged.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv next month, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in April 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. 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: Mikhail Zygar / New York Times — "For Putin, the War in Iran Changed Everything" (March 25, 2026)Mikhail Zygar / The Last Pioneer (Substack) — "When the Internet Disappears" (March 19, 2026)Mykhailo Naki — "PUTIN IS LOSING — AND HE KNOWS IT. The Kremlin for the First Time Thought About an Exit from the War" (YouTube, March 25, 2026)Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) — "Iran War Won't Save Putin's Crumbling Economy" (March 3, 2026)Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) — "From Tehran to Donbas: What the Iran War Means for Russia and Ukraine" (March 2026)Mikhail Khodorkovsky / Ukraine Today — "The Iran War Is Good for Putin — But Not Good Enough" (March 20, 2026)Russia Matters (Harvard Kennedy School) — "Russia Analytical Report, March 9–16, 2026"Fortune — "Putin is the real winner in Trump's Iran war as it puts Russian oil back on the map" (March 23, 2026)----------