International court rulings or official legal proceedings

Russian Deserter Reveals Nuclear Base Combat Alert on February 2022, Claims War Crimes Orders Lasted Two to Three Weeks

Nov 26, 2024, 11:02 AM

A Russian deserter has disclosed critical information regarding the operational state of a nuclear weapons base during the initial stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He revealed that the base was placed on full combat alert on the very first day of the invasion, indicating a readiness to potentially launch a nuclear attack. The deserter also recounted that his unit was confined to the base and subjected to regular lie-detector tests. He expressed moral objections to orders received from the Kremlin, which included directives that Ukrainian civilians were to be considered combatants and targeted for destruction, labeling such instructions as war crimes. Additionally, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had placed the country's nuclear forces on combat alert for a duration of two to three weeks following the invasion, during which he was allegedly located in a bunker away from Moscow.