The man who prevented a nuclear war
“Jellyfish” tells the story of Stanislav Petrov — one of the main heroes of the cold war. On his death it became known casually.
On 14 September the German newspaper WAZ said that in his apartment in the suburbs died Stanislav Petrov was a Soviet officer, who in 1983 could order the application of nuclear attack on the United States, but he was able to understand the situation and did not do it. Petrov is one of the main heroes of the cold war, he wrote books and made films, it was awarded in the headquarters of the United Nations. It turned out that Petrov died in may of 2017 is accidentally found out his long-term friend from Germany, still grateful Petrov for the prevention of nuclear war.
On the night of 26 September 1983, Stanislav Petrov was the operational duty at the command post of the warning system missile attack in the classified section of Serpukhov-15 near Moscow. At 0:15 the computer signaled that the Soviet military feared most: the United States launched a ballistic missile, and its purpose — Union. According to the instructions Petrov had to immediately report it to management and to the order to return to the start, but he did not.
“The machine shows that the accuracy of the information higher — recalled Petrov in one of his interviews. — On the wall burning large red letters: LAUNCH. So the missile went. I looked at his crew. Someone even jumped from their seats. Raised his voice, immediately ordered to take their posts. I had to check it out. Could it be that it’s actually a rocket with a warhead…”.
Since the rocket launch the enemy before deciding on a return run at the leadership of the Soviet Union was no more than 28 minutes. Personally, Petrova had 15 minutes to make the right decisions. He doubted that the US decided to strike the Soviet Union nuclear strike — he and other officers were instructed that when the real attack missiles were to be launched from multiple bases.
Petrov said on government communications that the computer has failed. It turned out that the Soviet sensors adopted for the launch of American missiles, the light of the sun, reflected from the clouds.
Petrova, he said then, wanted to encourage, even promised order, but instead reprimanded for empty the combat log. In 1984, he retired and settled with his family in the suburban Friazino. The October incident at the Serpukhov-15 was a state secret until 1993, about the duty knew nothing even Petrov’s wife.