December 31, 2025

Who Guards Russia's Nuclear Button?


Who Guards Russia's Nuclear Button?
A tactical exercise with the withdrawal of the Topol mobile ground-based missile system in the Serpukhov branch of the Strategic Missile Forces Military Academy. Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Wikimedia Commons

The independent investigative outlet Dossier Center has examined one of the most secretive units in the Russian military: the Special Strategic Communications Service, known as Service "K."

Officers from this unit are responsible for the so-called nuclear briefcases, and they accompany the president, the defense minister, and the chief of the General Staff at all times. Dossier reported on who serves in this elite group, how they live, and how much they earn for what is considered one of the most consequential jobs in the world.

On February 27, 2022, days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s deterrence forces to shift to a special regime of combat duty. Since then, command centers of the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific fleets, and long-range aviation have been operating with reinforced staffing.

A small, classified group of officers plays a central role in any potential launch of nuclear-armed missiles. These officers remain near the head of state around the clock. They are responsible for linking Putin with the military and transmitting his order to strike. They are colonels and Navy captains of the first rank from Service "K."

Formally, the unit is the Special Strategic Communications Service of the president of the Russian Federation, also known as military unit No. 26299. It is commonly referred to as Service "K," a designation likely derived from "Kazbek," the automated command-and-control system for Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. The best-known component of that system is the "Cheget" terminal, often called the nuclear briefcase.

If Russia detects an incoming attack, satellites and other early-warning systems that track ballistic missile launches and explosions will transmit a "missile attack" signal. That signal activates Kazbek and allows command-and-control systems to shift from standby to combat mode. 

The president then uses the Cheget terminal to communicate with the defense minister and the chief of the General Staff, each of whom has a separate terminal. A preliminary command follows, triggering coordination across all elements of the nuclear forces. An atomic strike can then be authorized.

The president issues the primary authorization, but confirmation must also come from the other two terminals. The order is then transmitted down the chain to launch crews.

Russian doctrine allows for a first strike. Soviet-era nuclear planning also included the concept of a "launch on warning," under which a strike could be ordered if an attack was believed to be imminent. In such cases, at the orders of the Commander-in-Chief and the Defense Minister, the National Defense Management Center generates an “attack” signal that unlocks the launch mechanism. 

Putin himself has said he does not rule out having to use the nuclear briefcase. According to Valentin Golubkov, one of the developers of the Kazbek system, Putin regularly trains on it, including during simulated missile launches against mock targets.

The designers envisioned that senior officials would never operate the Cheget alone. Officers from Service "K" act as operators, carry the briefcase, and are prepared to defend it if necessary. They are issued pistols and eight rounds of ammunition. At least two officers are always present, each carrying a briefcase, one primary and one backup in case of malfunction.

Dossier identified 53 individuals who have been linked to the unit since at least 2021. The investigation relied on facial recognition searches, leaked databases, open-source materials, and internal Service "K" documents obtained from a source. These include personnel questionnaires, applications to renew top-level security clearances, duty rosters compiled after the start of Russia's War on Ukraine, travel orders, and other records.

The direct commander of military unit No. 26299 is Colonel Andrei Zhuravlev, who previously stood in operational duty himself and accompanied Putin during a visit to Japan in December 2016. Other service members hold operator positions and are divided into groups of about 10, each with a supervisor. 

A typical schedule involves two consecutive days on duty. Operators are not permanently assigned to specific officials; the same officer may accompany the president at one time and the defense minister at another.

Despite the unique responsibility and experience required, salaries in Service "K" are comparable to those of other contract soldiers. Before the war, monthly pay did not exceed R150,000 ($1,900). After the invasion of Ukraine, salaries increased. Documents reviewed by Dossier show that at least one non-command officer earned up to R260,000 (nearly $3,300) per month.

Most officers live in or near Vlasikha, a closed military town outside Moscow. Many come from multigenerational military families. The youngest officer identified is 39, the oldest 62, with an average age of 52. None was born in Moscow. Many come from former Soviet republics: nine were born in what is now Ukraine, five in Belarus, and one each in Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Latvia. Two were born in East Germany. 

Their lifestyles appear modest: infrequent family vacations to southern Russia, regular mortgage payments, inexpensive cars, and limited savings. Data leaked from the Federal Tax Service indicate that the average officer has savings of about R400,000 (around $5,000). Only four had deposits exceeding R1 million (approximately $12,700).

All are Russian citizens and hold top-level security clearances, granting access to the country’s most sensitive information. These clearances are regularly renewed under the supervision of the Moscow Military District’s military counterintelligence unit. Officers must coordinate nearly every aspect of their private lives, including preapproval of vacation destinations and travel routes. They are also required to disclose relatives living abroad, even in allied countries such as Belarus.

Against that backdrop, Dossier found it notable that one officer, Yevgeny Shikhov, has a sister who has lived in the United States for more than 20 years and holds U.S. citizenship.

Despite the unit’s secrecy, many Service “K” officers maintain an active presence on social media. Dossier identified 12 profiles on VK, nine on Odnoklassniki, eight on the Moy Mir (My World) platform, and two on Facebook. One officer, Sergei Marinin, posted dozens of photos on VK, including images from official events and inside the Kremlin. Some appeared to joke darkly about their roles: Colonel Maksim Pchelintsev used a profile photo showing a large red button being pressed.

Dossier also found dating profiles belonging to several officers, some seeking short-term relationships. Two others posted reviews under their real names on Google Maps, making it possible to trace their movements.

For many officers, the Special Strategic Communications Service represents the pinnacle of a military career. They tend to serve for long periods, often 15 years or more. Those who leave typically retire or move into defense-industry enterprises. 

You Might Also Like

Party Like It's 1945
  • December 21, 2025

Party Like It's 1945

Moscow's Museum of Victory has created a temporary exhibition highlighting how the Russians of the Second World War celebrated New Year.
Research under Surveillance
  • December 08, 2025

Research under Surveillance

Starting next year, Russian scientists must request FSB approval before working with foreign colleagues.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955