Kremlin Meltdown: Putin Out of Money, Out of Time - Jason Jay Smart

Russia's war economy is in a state of collapse. Moscow's public claims of strength are in stark contrast to the reality of its financial ledgers. As military spending soars, the nation faces a massive budget deficit of approximately $37 billion. This economic meltdown is further compounded by a significant 17% drop in vital oil and gas revenues. The regime is desperately drawing on reserves and the National Wealth Fund, but this fails to address core problems.

High interest rates, currently at 18%, are suffocating the Russian economy by choking credit and causing corporate lending to fall to near zero. This has a ripple effect on key industries. In the Kuzbass coal basin, 17 companies have ceased operations, directly impacting steel production, which has declined by 6.3 million tons year-over-year. The collapse extends to the space industry, with the design bureau of Russia's state space agency, Roscosmos, filing for bankruptcy due to unpaid wages. The failure of one part leads to the unraveling of the entire interconnected system.

In this war of attrition, Russia's capacity is shrinking. The economic weakness is a result of a highly interconnected system that is unraveling. The Russian government's financial situation is truly two steps away from total disaster.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Russia's Economy Is Crumbling From Within
01:32 The Putin Regime is Disintegrating
03:09 The Truth Behind Russia's "Wealth"
04:42 Russia's Industrial Collapse: The Domino Effect
10:27 The Looming Disaster for Russia's Economy
12:07 Outro