Man who once guarded Russia’s nuclear base reveals his wartime secrets

A former officer in Russia’s nuclear forces is among the few to speak about their experiences at one of the country’s most secret military bases. His statement to the BBC talks about the frightening readiness of Russia’s nuclear arsenal at the start of the all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

On that fateful day, Mr. Anton was stationed at a nuclear weapons base where his unit was placed on full combat readiness. “Before we only had practices. But on the day the war started, the weapons were completely in place,” he recalls. “We were prepared to send forces into the sea and into the air and theoretically carry out a nuclear strike.” Russia was prepared for the worst.

Mr. Anton served as an officer at a top-secret nuclear weapons facility where there was limited insight into its operations. Documents provided to the BBC confirmed his rank, unit and base. Three days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin announced that the country’s nuclear forces had been placed on high alert. Mr Anton confirmed that the alarm had been in place from day one and that he and his colleagues were confined to the base with only access to Russian state television. They were not involved in combat operations, but were tasked with guarding the nuclear weapons. The heightened state of alert lasted two to three weeks before it was finally lifted.

Mr. Anton provided a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Russia’s nuclear forces. The entire staff consists of professional soldiers without compulsory military service and is subject to regular checks and lie detector tests. The wages are significantly higher and the troops are not sent to war. Instead, their job is to either defend or deliver a nuclear strike.

Life at the nuclear base was tightly controlled, personal phones were not allowed, and visitors had to obtain permission from the FSB months in advance. Mr Anton worked in the security unit, part of a rapid reaction force with a response time of two minutes.

Things changed when he was given an order he couldn’t follow. He was told to teach his troops that Ukrainian civilians should be treated like combatants and destroyed. Anton refused, calling it a war crime and rejecting the “propaganda”.

His refusal had serious consequences. He was reprimanded by senior officers and transferred to a regular assault brigade, units that were often sent into battle as the “first wave.” Mr. Anton, out of defiance, signed a statement refusing to take part in the war, after which criminal proceedings were initiated against him. “I provided them with documents confirming my transfer to the assault brigade and details of the criminal proceedings,” Mr Anton explained.

Before being sent to the front, Mr. Anton decided to escape Russia with the help of a volunteer organization that helps deserters. He explained that if he had tried to escape from the nuclear force base, the FSB security service would have reacted quickly, making it almost impossible for him to leave the country. However, because he had been transferred to a regular assault brigade, the high-level security clearance was no longer valid, allowing him to escape.

After his escape, Mr. Anton joined the volunteer group “Idite Lesom” (meaning “Walking Through the Forest” or “Getting Lost”), which helps deserters escape Russian authorities. The group reports that the number of deserters seeking help has risen to 350 per month and the risks to those fleeing are escalating. Mr. Anton is very aware of the dangers he faces, both in his previous role and in his current actions. “I understand that the more I do this, the higher the chance that they might try to kill me.”

He said he no longer speaks to his former colleagues at the nuclear base to protect them from the consequences of their contact with him. “You will have to take a lie detector test and any contact with me could lead to criminal proceedings.”

Although he has left Russia, Mr. Anton remains under threat. The Russian security services continue to search for him and he is now living in secret, taking extreme precautions to avoid detection. “I work according to accounting and am not reported in any official system,” he reveals.