Brief
Russia expands underground bunker to secure nuclear retaliation
The Kremlin has upgraded a remote Ural bunker, Facility 1335, to transmit launch signals after a catastrophic attack, officials say.
By Felo News Desk · Published
In a move that signals a return to Cold‑War thinking, Russian authorities have expanded a vast underground command centre, known as Facility 1335, beneath a remote mountain in the Ural wilderness. The facility, part of the Soviet‑era “Dead Hand” system, is designed to transmit launch signals to mobile missile launchers and surviving silos if communications with the leadership are severed.
Satellite images, construction documents and photographs posted by Russian soldiers show the scale of the project. The bunker, which lies near the tiny village of Kytlym, is heavily fortified and guarded by a garrison of soldiers at all times. The expansion includes new tunnels and at least 24 underground chambers, according to a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, Danwatch and the Dossier Centre.
Officials say the renewed investment reflects the Kremlin’s priority on ensuring its nuclear command infrastructure can survive a major attack. The bunker is built to withstand American bunker‑busting bombs and would send out signals to launch missiles following an attack if communications were cut off with leadership.
The move comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with Russia recently announcing it would intensify attacks on Kyiv after a large drone assault on Moscow, and after a Russian drone struck a Ukrainian passenger train near the Polish border. The expansion of Facility 1335 is seen by experts as a sign of growing paranoia about a Western attack on Russia.
Key facts
- Facility 1335 is part of Russia’s Dead Hand nuclear strategy (dailymail.co.uk)
- The bunker is located near the village of Kytlym in the Ural mountains (dailymail.co.uk)
- The expansion includes new tunnels and at least 24 underground chambers (dailymail.co.uk)
- The bunker is designed to withstand American bunker‑busting bombs (dailymail.co.uk)
Background
The Dead Hand system was dormant after the Cold War but has been revived under President Vladimir Putin to ensure nuclear retaliation capability even if the leadership is destroyed.
Why it matters
The upgraded bunker could enable Russia to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike even after a catastrophic attack, potentially escalating tensions with the West.
What happens next
No immediate actions announced; the expansion is part of Russia’s broader strategy to maintain nuclear deterrence.
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Russia builds doomsday nuclear bunker to launch strikes against West”
