Russia Builds New Nuclear Command Bunker
Russia has constructed a giant bunker for the updated retaliatory nuclear strike system 'Perimeter' – The Sunday Times, Danwa.
Consensus
- Russia has constructed a new underground command bunker on the Ural Mountains.
- The bunker is linked to the 'Perimeter' nuclear retaliation system, also known as 'Dead Hand'.
- The facility is located inside Kосьvinский Kамень mountain in Sverdlovsk Oblast.
- The project involved large-scale construction activities starting from 2018.
- The bunker is designed to maintain command and control of nuclear forces in the event of a nuclear attack.
- The system is intended to enable a retaliatory nuclear strike if primary communication channels are destroyed.
- The investigation analyzed approximately 2.5 million Russian documents and open sources.
- The construction involved procurement of heavy earthmoving and drilling equipment, ventilation systems, filtration systems, and structural materials.
- The facility includes at least 24 underground chambers and has a distance of about 2.5 km between main and emergency exits.
- The object was reportedly placed on combat duty in 2023.
- The project's cost is estimated to be comparable to hundreds of millions of pounds sterling.
- Some equipment used in the construction was supplied by Western companies, including Rockwool (Denmark) and Belimo (Switzerland), with some deliveries occurring after 2014 and 2022 sanctions.
Points of divergence
- The project is described as a revival of the Soviet 'Perimeter' system amid rising tensions with the West. — vm
- Vladimir Putin publicly mentioned the near completion of the protected command facility in 2020, which is seen as a sign of program development. — novaya_eu
- The object was placed on combat duty in 2023, according to a publication by Colonel Yuri Andreev in 2025. — tg_radiosvoboda
- The system allows for both automated and automatic modes of retaliation, according to General-Major Viktor Khalin. — novaya_eu
- The Kremlin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that nuclear deterrence remains effective and is a cornerstone of international security. — vm
- Sergei Lavrov warned that NATO-Russia confrontation could lead to catastrophic consequences, including nuclear exchange. — vm
- The object was built with the intention of attracting attention from intelligence services to strengthen nuclear deterrence. — tg_radiosvoboda
- The investigation describes the project as a revival of a Cold War-era program. — novaya_eu
- The object was built with equipment from Western companies, including after 2014 and 2012 sanctions. — tg_radiosvoboda
- The system is described as a communication system to ensure the transmission of retaliatory orders. — vm
- The system uses special command rockets to transmit encrypted orders to surviving missile units. — novaya_eu
- The object is referred to as 'Grot' (No. 1355), though the number is inconsistent with other sources. — tg_radiosvoboda
Coverage (5 sources)
- For Putin, a 'Doomsday Bunker' was built in the Urals in case of nuclear war — The Moscow Times
- The Sunday Times: Russia revives Soviet system of retaliatory nuclear strike — Вечерняя Москва
- Russia built a giant bunker for the updated retaliatory nuclear strike system "Perimeter" — Радио Свобода
- Russia built a giant bunker for the updated retaliatory nuclear strike system "Perimeter" — Настоящее Время
- Russia revived the retaliatory nuclear strike system 'Perimeter' and expanded the underground base in the Urals — Новая газета Европа
Key entities
- Russia
- The Sunday Times
- Uralom
- Danwatch
- Dossier
- West
- Putin
- Danwa
- Sverdlovsk Oblast
- Perimeter
- Center «Dossier»
- Kosvinsky Kamenny