How A Soviet Doomsday Master Missile Looks And Works

Yesterday we learnt that the Soviets still have a working doomsday system in place. This is an SS-17 ICBM master missile, which are launched first. Once they are in the skies, they activate the launch for all the Russian nukes.

That includes every single nuclear weapon, every one of the Russian Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles in ground silos, nuclear submarines and heavy bombers around the world. Scary stuff indeed.

But fear not, fellow humans, because the Dead Hand system is not completely automatic. The actual red button is apparently activated by a soldier hidden in some underground bunker.

Yes, I feel so much safer now. [gradremstroy—in Russian via DRB]