Times report says Russia reactivated its “Dead Hand” nuclear retaliation system — expert Pavel Podvig says the system was never deactivated

The Sunday Times, along with Danish organization Danwatch and the independent Russian Dossier Center, conducted a joint investigation revealing Russia's expansion and modernization of a secret nuclear command center in the Urals. This facility, located inside Mount Kosvinsky Kamen, is believed to be linked to the Soviet-era "Dead Hand" system, which was designed to maintain the Kremlin's capability to launch a retaliatory nuclear attack even if the primary command channels were destroyed.

However, expert Pavel Podvig, who specializes in Russian nuclear forces, contends that the system was never deactivated. Podvig explains that the facility, known as Object 1335, was indeed constructed, but the system it houses is merely a backup communication network, not an automated retaliatory system. According to Podvig, Perimeter is designed to transmit launch orders to individual missile units through rockets if conventional communication channels are destroyed.

He emphasizes that Perimeter does not possess the capability to initiate a retaliatory strike automatically. The investigation also revealed extensive construction work, including the procurement of over 20,000 metric tons of steel and the creation of 24 underground chambers. The facility's scale, coupled with its potential to protect Russia's nuclear retaliatory capabilities, has led investigators to conclude that the "Dead Hand" system has been revived.