BREAKING: What Really Caused the Moscow Blackout? episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 2, 2025 · 8 MIN

BREAKING: What Really Caused the Moscow Blackout?

from Silicon Curtain · host Jonathan Fink

Silicon Bites Ep263 - Day 1,348 - 2025-11-02 | Moscow goes dark. Trains stall, pumps stop, traffic snarls — and the Kremlin scrambles for a credible cover story. Let’s unpack what failed, who’s blaming whom, and why it matters for the winter energy war. – the attritional struggle to disrupt and destroy resources and energy logistics that will determine which side eventually prevails in the war. What’s happened in the last 72 hours: Ukraine hits a key military fuel pipeline near Moscow, Russia slams Ukraine’s grid again, the Kremlin seems to backtrack over “nuclear tests”. Moscow’s big blackout — what happened; why it matters. Overnight on Oct. 31, a widespread power outage hit Moscow and parts of the Moscow Oblast. According to NV (citing Russian sources), “a widespread power outage left parts of Moscow without electricity… paralyzing large areas of the Russian capital” and disrupted water supply, trolleybus and tram lines, while 43 metro trains were halted in tunnels — early estimates put the number at 20,000 passengers stranded on trains. NV also reports the Paveletsky rail terminal was disrupted while other airports and stations largely kept operating. (The New Voice of Ukraine, Nov. 1, 10:24 a.m.)----------SOURCES: "…paralyzing large areas of the Russian capital.” — The New Voice of Ukraine, Nov. 1, 2025"Emergency situation in the power system.” — Zhukovsky administration via NV, Nov. 1, 2025“Cripple power supplies as winter approaches.” — PM Yulia Svyrydenko via Reuters, Oct. 30, 2025“This is not a nuclear test.” — Dmitry Peskov, The Moscow Times, Oct. 30, 2025“Deeply concerned.” — PACE monitors on Georgia bans, Oct. 29, 2025----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/-----------

Silicon Bites Ep263 - Day 1,348 - 2025-11-02 | Moscow goes dark. Trains stall, pumps stop, traffic snarls — and the Kremlin scrambles for a credible cover story. Let’s unpack what failed, who’s blaming whom, and why it matters for the winter energy war. – the attritional struggle to disrupt and destroy resources and energy logistics that will determine which side eventually prevails in the war. What’s happened in the last 72 hours: Ukraine hits a key military fuel pipeline near Moscow, Russia slams Ukraine’s grid again, the Kremlin seems to backtrack over “nuclear tests”. Moscow’s big blackout — what happened; why it matters. Overnight on Oct. 31, a widespread power outage hit Moscow and parts of the Moscow Oblast. According to NV (citing Russian sources), “a widespread power outage left parts of Moscow without electricity… paralyzing large areas of the Russian capital” and disrupted water supply, trolleybus and tram lines, while 43 metro trains were halted in tunnels — early estimates put the number at 20,000 passengers stranded on trains. NV also reports the Paveletsky rail terminal was disrupted while other airports and stations largely kept operating. (The New Voice of Ukraine, Nov. 1, 10:24 a.m.)----------SOURCES: "…paralyzing large areas of the Russian capital.” — The New Voice of Ukraine, Nov. 1, 2025"Emergency situation in the power system.” — Zhukovsky administration via NV, Nov. 1, 2025“Cripple power supplies as winter approaches.” — PM Yulia Svyrydenko via Reuters, Oct. 30, 2025“This is not a nuclear test.” — Dmitry Peskov, The Moscow Times, Oct. 30, 2025“Deeply concerned.” — PACE monitors on Georgia bans, Oct. 29, 2025----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------This is super important. There are so many Battalions in Ukraine, fighting to defend our freedoms, but lack basics such as vehicles. These are destroyed on a regular basis, and lack of transport is costs lives, and Ukrainian territory. Autumn Harvest: Silicon Curtain (Goal€22,000)https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/autumn-harvest-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukraine - Providing 4x4 vehicles to Ukrainian warriors https://car4ukraine.com/campaignsSave 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/Volunteer-run, US non-profit and UK charity supporting survival and recovery of Ukrainehttps://www.ukrainianaction.com/-----------

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BREAKING: What Really Caused the Moscow Blackout?

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This episode was published on November 2, 2025.

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Silicon Bites Ep263 - Day 1,348 - 2025-11-02 | Moscow goes dark. Trains stall, pumps stop, traffic snarls — and the Kremlin scrambles for a credible cover story. Let’s unpack what failed, who’s blaming whom, and why it matters for the winter energy...

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