Russian defence ministryA ballistic missile on a nuclear base in RussiaOn the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Anton says the nuclear guns base he used to be serving at used to be placed on complete struggle alert.“Prior to that, we had handiest workout routines. However at the day the battle began, the guns had been absolutely in position,” says the previous officer within the Russian nuclear forces. “We had been waiting to release the forces into the ocean and air and, in principle, perform a nuclear strike.”I met Anton in a secret location outdoor Russia. For his personal coverage, the BBC won’t disclose the place. We’ve additionally modified his title and aren’t appearing his face.Anton used to be an officer at a top-secret nuclear guns facility in Russia.He has proven us paperwork confirming his unit, rank and base.The BBC is not able to independently test the entire occasions he described, even though they do chime with Russian statements on the time. 
The previous officer (L) talked to the BBC in a secret location – his face has been blurred to cover his identityThree days after troops poured over Ukraine’s borders, Vladimir Putin introduced that Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces were ordered right into a “particular mode of struggle carrier”. Anton says that struggle alert used to be in position on day one of the vital battle and claims his unit used to be “close throughout the base”. “All we had used to be Russian state TV,” says the previous officer, “I didn’t actually know what all of it supposed. I routinely performed my tasks. We weren’t preventing within the battle, we had been simply guarding the nuclear guns.”The state of alert used to be cancelled, he provides, after two to 3 weeks.Anton’s testimony provides an perception into the top-secret inside workings of the nuclear forces in Russia. This can be very uncommon for carrier individuals to speak to newshounds.“There’s a very strict variety procedure there. Everyone seems to be a certified soldier – no conscripts,” he explains. “There are consistent assessments and lie-detector checks for everybody. The pay is far upper, and the troops aren’t despatched to battle. They’re there to both repel, or perform, a nuclear strike.”The previous officer says existence used to be tightly managed. “It used to be my accountability to make sure the warriors underneath me didn’t take any telephones directly to the nuclear base,” he explains.“It’s a closed society, there aren’t any strangers there. If you wish to have your folks to seek advice from, you want to publish a request to the FSB Safety Provider 3 months prematurely.”
Russian defence ministrySoldiers guarding a nuclear base are specifically trainedAnton used to be a part of the bottom’s safety unit – a rapid-reaction power that guarded the nuclear guns. “We had consistent coaching workout routines. Our response time used to be two mins,” he says, with a touch of pleasure.Russia has round 4,380 operational nuclear warheads, in step with the Federation of American Scientists, however just one,700 are “deployed” or waiting to be used. The entire Nato member states mixed possess a identical quantity.There also are considerations about whether or not Putin may just select to deploy “non-strategic”, ceaselessly referred to as tactical, nuclear guns. Those are smaller missiles that most often don’t purpose fashionable radioactive fallout. Their use would nonetheless result in a deadly escalation within the battle.The Kremlin has been doing all it could possibly to check the West’s nerves.Simplest closing week Putin ratified adjustments to the nuclear doctrine – the legit laws dictating how and when Russia can release nuclear guns. The doctrine now says Russia can release if it comes underneath “huge assault” from standard missiles by means of a non-nuclear state however “with the participation or give a boost to of a nuclear state”.Russian officers say the up to date doctrine “successfully removes” the potential for its defeat at the battlefield.However is Russia’s nuclear arsenal absolutely useful?Some Western professionals have prompt its guns most commonly date from the Soviet generation, and may no longer even paintings.The previous nuclear forces officer rejected that opinion as a “very simplified view from so-called professionals”.“There could be some out of date forms of guns in some spaces, however the nation has a huge nuclear arsenal, an enormous quantity of warheads, together with consistent struggle patrol on land, sea and air.”Russia’s nuclear guns had been absolutely operational and battle-ready, he maintained. “The paintings to care for the nuclear guns is performed continuously, it by no means stops even for one minute.”In a while after the full-scale battle started, Anton mentioned he used to be given what he describes as a “legal order” – to carry lectures together with his troops the usage of very explicit written tips.“They mentioned that Ukrainian civilians are fighters and will have to be destroyed!” he exclaims. “That’s a crimson line for me – it’s a battle crime. I mentioned I received’t unfold this propaganda.”Senior officials reprimanded Anton by means of shifting him to a typical attack brigade in any other a part of the rustic. He used to be advised he could be despatched to battle.Those gadgets are ceaselessly despatched in to wrestle because the “first wave” and a variety of Russian deserters have advised the BBC that “troublemakers” who object to the battle had been used as “cannon fodder”.The Russian embassy in London didn’t reply to a request for remark.Prior to he might be despatched to the entrance line, Anton signed a observation refusing to participate within the battle and a legal case used to be opened in opposition to him. He confirmed us paperwork confirming his switch to the attack brigade and main points of the legal case.He then determined to escape the rustic with the assistance of a volunteer organisation for deserters.“If I had run clear of the nuclear forces base, then the native FSB Safety Provider would’ve reacted decisively and I almost certainly wouldn’t had been ready to go away the rustic,” he mentioned.However he believes that, as a result of he were transferred to an atypical attack brigade, the device of top-level safety clearance failed.Anton mentioned he sought after the sector to understand that many Russian squaddies had been in opposition to the battle.The volunteer organisation that is helping deserters, “Idite Lesom” [‘Go by the Forest’, in English, or ‘Get Lost’] has advised the BBC that the collection of deserters searching for assist has risen to 350 a month.The hazards to these fleeing are rising, too. A minimum of one deserter has been killed after fleeing in a foreign country, and there were a number of instances of fellows being forcibly returned to Russia and placed on trial.Despite the fact that Anton has left Russia, he says safety products and services are nonetheless in search of him there: “I take precautions right here, I paintings off the books and I don’t display up in any legit techniques.”He says he has stopped chatting with his buddies on the nuclear base as a result of he may just put them at risk: “They will have to take lie-detector checks, and any touch with me may just result in a legal case.”However he’s underneath no phantasm concerning the possibility he’s himself in by means of serving to different squaddies to escape. “I perceive the extra I do this, the upper the probabilities they might attempt to kill me.”
