A Russian deserter has given an interview to the BBC about the day of its full invasion in February 2022 where the nuclear weapons base he was serving on was put on full combat alert.
“Before that, we only had drills. But the day the war started, the weapons were in full readiness,” says Anton, a former officer in the Russian forces. “We were ready to unleash forces at sea and in the air and, in theory, to carry out a nuclear strike.”
. The BBC does not reveal where, has changed his name and does not show his face.
Anton was an officer at a top secret nuclear weapons facility in Russia. He showed the British Media confirming his unit, rank and base.
“We weren’t fighting, we were just guarding the nuclear weapons”
Three days after troops marched to Ukraine’s border, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces had been ordered into “special combat mode.”
Anton says the combat alert was in effect from the first day of the war and claims his unit was “locked inside the base”.
“All we had was Russian state TV,” says the former officer, “I didn’t really know what it all meant. I automatically performed my tasks. We weren’t fighting, we were just guarding the nuclear weapons.”
The state of alert was lifted, he adds, after two to three weeks. His testimony gives insight into the top-secret inner workings of Russia’s nuclear forces. It is extremely rare for service members to speak to reporters.
“Strictly controlled life”
“There is a very strict selection process there. All are professional soldiers – no draftees. There are constant checks and lie detector tests for everyone. The pay is much higher and the troops are not sent to war. They are there either to repel, or to carry out a nuclear strike,” says Anton.
The former officer says life was tightly controlled. “It was my responsibility to ensure that the soldiers under my command did not pick up phones at the nuclear base,” he explains.
“It’s a closed society, there are no outsiders there. If you want your parents to visit you, you have to submit a request to the FSB Security Service three months in advance.”
