Russian President Putin’s Secret Nuclear Command Bunker Amid Tensions With West: Report | Today’s news
Russian President Vladimir Putin is quietly upgrading a secret Cold War-era nuclear command facility buried deep inside a mountain in the Urals region, according to an investigation by The Sunday Times, Danwatch and the Dossier Center.
The facility, known as Facility 1335, is located inside Kosvinsky Kamen Mountain, about 800 miles east of Moscow. The investigation is said to include the first images from inside the bunker and details of public contracts that indicate extensive construction and modernization work since 2018.
The site is linked to Russia’s Perimeter nuclear command system, known in the West as the “Dead Hand”, which was developed during the Cold War to ensure that Russia’s nuclear forces could remain operational even if the country’s leadership and conventional command structures were destroyed in a nuclear conflict.
A bunker buried deep under granite
According to The Times, the Kosvinsky Stone is buried under more than 1,000 feet of solid granite. The depth provides considerable protection against conventional armor-piercing weapons, including bunker busting bombs.
The investigation reportedly found that Facility 1335 contained at least 24 underground rooms, while tunnels stretching about 1.5 miles from the entrances formed part of a vast underground complex.
Huge amount of construction material
Contracts associated with Plant 1335 and dated between 2018 and 2024 point to significant modernization efforts, according to the investigation.
The contracts reportedly include:
More than 62,000 tons of cement
Approximately 372 miles of electrical cable
21 electrical substations
95 pieces of heavy equipment
Some ventilation devices were reportedly designed to protect against radioactive dust.
According to the investigation, the bunker also received new explosion-proof equipment and communication systems.
Expert links upgrade to Russian nuclear forces
Tom Roseth, an expert on Russian security policy at the Norwegian Staff College, told The Times that the development appears to be related to the broader modernization of Russia’s nuclear forces.
“The expansion of the 1335 facility follows a major modernization of Russia’s nuclear forces, which is a high priority within the Russian Armed Forces,” Roseth said.
He also linked the announced work to the changing security relationship between Russia and Western countries.
“The edge will now be prioritized again, in a more tense geopolitical situation, in which Russia sees itself in conflict with the West,” he added.
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