A former nuclear force officer has shared his story with the BBC. He said they are constantly subjected to tests such as the lie detector.
Last Tuesday, November 19 the president of Russia Vladimir Putin announced changes to nuclear doctrine of the Kremlin .
It is the document that establishes the conditions under which you would consider the use of arm nuclear .
The new update says that Moscow will consider aggression by any non-nuclear-weapon state, but with the participation of a nuclear-weapon country, as a joint attack in Russia.
On the same day of the announcement, Ukrainian forces used American-made ATACMS missiles against the Russian region of Bryansk.
And the next day, They led another offensive against the Kursk region, with Storm Shadow projectiles. supplied by the United Kingdom.
In response, Russia fired a new intermediate-range missile, the Oreshnik, on Thursday the 21st. towards the city of Dnipro.
Said projectile has the ability to carry nuclear warheads, although in this case they only used conventional explosives .
Recent events have taken place more than two and a half years since Russia began its full-scale military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
During the period when the conflict spread, Moscow has repeatedly hinted that it could use its nuclear weapons .
An analysis of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) assures that currently, the country It has approximately 4,380 operational nuclear warheads .
Of this number, it is estimated that around 1,700 people are deployed i.e. ready to use.
For reference, NATO member countries that have this type of weapon together reach a similar number .
But while some Western experts have suggested that several Russian missiles date from the Soviet era and may not function optimally, a former Russian nuclear forces official said those comments reflected a “very simplified vision” .
“There may be some types of obsolete weapons in some areas, but the country a huge nuclear arsenal, a large number of warheads, including a constant combat patrol on land, at sea and in the air. »
The former officer, WHO Now an army deserter and escapee from Russia, he revealed the functioning of the country’s nuclear bases. in an interview with BBC .
In the aforementioned media they called him Anton, while clarifying that his real name has been changed to avoid potential risks to your safety.
How Russia’s nuclear bases work, according to a deserter from its army
The defector from the Russian nuclear forces said: On the day Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the order was given for its base to remain on high alert. .
“Before this, we only did exercises. But the day the war started, the weapons were fully prepared “, said.
In the words of Anton: “We were ready to launch forces into the sea and air and, in theory, carry out a nuclear attack “.
The establishment in which he operated has a top secret nature .
Three days after Russian soldiers crossed the border, Putin confirmed that his nuclear deterrent had been ordered to prepare for a “special mode of combat service”.
According to Anton, this It was applied from day one .
That day he said: his unit was “locked inside the base” and all they had to watch was Russian state television.
“I didn’t really know what it all meant. I fulfilled my obligations automatically. We weren’t fighting the war, we were just we protected nuclear weapons “.
He declared that The alert status was canceled about two or three weeks later .
Regarding the definition of troops that carry out this type of work, he said that “they have a very strict selection process” and “they are all professional soldiers not recruits.
“There is constant checks and lie detector tests for everyone . The pay is much higher and troops are not sent to war. “They are there to repel or carry out a nuclear attack,” added the former officer.
How soldiers live in Russian nuclear bases
Anton explained to BBC that uniformed officers were subject to strict inspections .
In fact, he stated that he had to ensure that the troops under his command “did not wear no telephone at base nuclear”.
“It’s a closed society, there are no outsiders there . If you want your parents to visit you, you must make a request three months in advance to the security service of the FSB (Russian Security Service), explained the deserter from the Russian forces.
Anton’s main duties at the base to which he was assigned were to keep nuclear weapons .
According to him, they carried out constant training exercises, while His unit’s reaction time was “two minutes” .
He also said that ongoing reviews were being carried out to maintain the nuclear arsenal, so operations “never stop for a minute” .
Why the Russian Army Officer Who Exposed Putin’s Nuclear Bases Defected
The former Russian army officer told the aforementioned media that shortly after the start of the large-scale invasion, received a “penal order” from his superiors .
They ordered him to do lectures with specific guidelines for soldiers under his command.
“They said that Ukrainian civilians are fighters and must be destroyed! » » assured Anton.
“In my opinion, it’s a red line: it’s a war crime . I said I will not spread this propaganda.
This led, as punishment, transferred to a regular assault brigade in another part of Russia.
Other Russian defectors consulted by the BBC they declared that Units of this type are known as “first wave” and “troublemakers” who oppose them are sent there. the way the Kremlin wages war.
According to them, uniformed officers assigned to these groups They are used as “cannon fodder” in combat.
Before sending him to the front, Anton signed a declaration refusing to participate in the war .
For this reason, the authorities They opened criminal proceedings against him .
It’s at that moment decided to flee Russia, with the support of an organization of volunteers who help deserters who do not want to continue in the Russian ranks.
The former officer assured that “if he had fled the nuclear base, the local FSB security service would have reacted decisively and would have I probably wouldn’t have been able to leave the country. “.
He argued that The fact that he had previously been transferred to a regular assault brigade made it easier for him to escape. .
It is for this reason that he considers that, in his case, high level security clearance system failed .
From the organization that helped him escape, Idite Lesom they told the aforementioned media that the number of deserters seeking its help increased to 350 per month .
To protect himself, Anton said he takes precautions such as work “outside the registers” and do not appear “in any official system” .
He commented that He also didn’t tell his friends about the nuclear facility. as this could expose them to safety risks.
For his part, from the Russian Embassy in London, they did not respond upon request for comments from BBC.
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
