World
November 27, 2024 09:20
russia, ukraine - A Russian officer who deserted has revealed that a Russian nuclear weapons base was on full alert on the day the invasion of Ukraine began.
On the day the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, a Russian nuclear weapons base was brought to a state of full readiness. A Russian deserter revealed this to the BBC.
According to the former officer at an extremely secret nuclear weapons base in Russia, "we only had exercises before that." He showed the British broadcaster BBC documents to confirm his unit, rank, and base. "But on the day the war began, the weapons were all ready. We were ready to send them into the sea and the sky, and in theory, to carry out a nuclear attack."
Anton, a fictitious name given to the man by the BBC, stated that on the first day of the war, a combat alert was in effect and his unit was "locked" inside the nuclear base.
Although the BBC could not independently verify all the events he described, they are consistent with Russian statements from that time. Three days after his troops crossed the Ukrainian borders, President Vladimir Putin announced that the nuclear deterrent forces had been ordered to activate the "special combat mode." "We could only rely on state television. I really didn't know what it all meant, I was just carrying out my duties on autopilot. We were not fighting on the front lines; we were just guarding the nuclear weapons."
It was only after two to three weeks that the state of readiness was lifted, according to Anton. His testimony provides insight into the top-secret internal operations of the nuclear forces in Russia. It is rare for military personnel to speak with journalists. "There is a very strict selection process," said Anton. "Everyone is a professional soldier, not a conscript. There are constant checks and lie detector tests for everyone. The pay is much higher, and the troops are not sent to war. They are there to repel or carry out a nuclear attack."
Anton claimed to be part of the security unit at the base, a rapid reaction force that guarded the nuclear weapons. "We had constant exercises. Our response time was two minutes."
According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has approximately 4,380 operational nuclear warheads. Only 1,700 of them are "deployed" or ready for use. All NATO member states together possess a comparable number.