Dead Hand

Russia has carried out a major modernization of a secret underground command complex in the Ural Mountains linked to Perimetr, the Cold War-era nuclear retaliation system known in the West as 'Dead Hand'. The report, based on military documents published by Danwatch, has drawn attention to Moscow's continued investment in Cold War-era command infrastructure amid ongoing tensions over nuclear readiness.

A Times report claims Russia has reactivated its 'Dead Hand' semi-automatic nuclear retaliation system, designed to launch missiles automatically if leadership is decapitated. arms control expert Pavel Podvig disputes the framing, saying the system was never deactivated in the first place. The claim has drawn attention amid ongoing tensions over Russia's nuclear posture in the war in Ukraine.