UVB-76 “The Buzzer”: Technical and Historical Overview
Origin and Purpose of UVB-76 UVB-76 is a mysterious Russian shortwave radio station that has operated since the late 1970s . It continuously broadcasts a monotonous buzzing tone on 4625 kHz, earning it the nickname “The Buzzer” . The station’s ownership is not officially acknowledged, but it is widely believed to be run by the Russian Armed Forces . For decades, UVB-76 transmitted almost nothing but a repetitive buzz or beep, occasionally interrupted by coded voice messages in Russian . The Russian government has never confirmed the station’s true purpose, leading to numerous theories. One prominent theory is that UVB-76 serves as a “Dead Hand” signal for an automatic nuclear retaliatory system (known as Perimeter in Russian). In this scenario, if a nuclear strike destroyed Russia’s command structure and the buzzing were to stop, it could trigger an automated launch of nuclear weapons . This dire hypothesis has earned UVB-76 nicknames like the “Doomsday Station.” However, experts n...