Russian deserter reveals war secrets of guarding nuclear base
5 min read
A ballistic missile on a nuclear base in Russia. Picture: Russian defence ministry
On the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Anton says the nuclear weapons base he was serving at was put on full combat alert.
“Before that, we had only exercises. But on the day the war started, the weapons were fully in place,” says the former officer in the Russian nuclear forces. “We were ready to launch the forces into the sea and air and, in theory, carry out a nuclear strike.”
I met Anton in a secret location outside Russia. For his own protection, the BBC will not reveal where. We have also changed his name and are not showing his face.
Anton was an officer at a top-secret nuclear weapons facility in Russia.
He has shown us documents confirming his unit, rank and base.
The BBC is unable to independently verify all the events he described, although they do chime with Russian statements at the time.
Three days after troops poured over Ukraine’s borders, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces had been ordered into a “special mode of combat service”.
Anton says that combat alert was in place on day one of the war and claims his unit was “shut inside the base”.
“All we had was Russian state TV,” says the former officer, “I didn’t really know what it all meant. I automatically carried out my duties. We weren’t fighting in the war, we were just guarding the nuclear weapons.”
The state of alert was cancelled, he adds, after two to three weeks.
Anton’s testimony offers an insight into the top-secret inner workings of the nuclear forces in Russia. It is extremely rare for service members to talk to journalists.
“There is a very strict selection process there. Everyone is a professional soldier – no conscripts,” he explains.
“There are constant checks and lie-detector tests for everyone. The pay is much higher, and the troops aren’t sent to war. They’re there to either repel, or carry out, a nuclear strike.”
The former officer says life was tightly controlled.
“It was my responsibility to ensure the soldiers under me didn’t take any phones on to the nuclear base,” he explains.
“It’s a closed society, there are no strangers there. If you want your parents to visit, you need to submit a request to the FSB Security Service three months in advance.”
Anton was part of the base’s security unit – a rapid-reaction force that guarded the nuclear weapons.
“We had constant training exercises. Our reaction time was two minutes,” he says, with a hint of pride.
Russia has around 4,380 operational nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, but only 1,700 are “deployed” or ready for use. All the Nato member states combined possess a similar number.
There are also concerns about whether Putin could choose to deploy “non-strategic”, often called tactical, nuclear weapons. These are smaller missiles that generally don’t cause widespread radioactive fallout.
Their use would nevertheless lead to a dangerous escalation in the war.
The Kremlin has been doing all it can to test the West’s nerves.
Only last week Putin ratified changes to the nuclear doctrine – the official rules dictating how and when Russia can launch nuclear weapons.
The doctrine now says Russia can launch if it comes under “massive attack” from conventional missiles by a non-nuclear state but “with the participation or support of a nuclear state”.
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