The Russian government has significantly expanded and modernized a Cold War-era nuclear command facility deep within the Ural Mountains, reviving a previously dormant doomsday program designed to guarantee retaliatory strikes in the event of a nuclear attack. The site, codenamed Facility 1335, is located inside Kosvinsky Kamen, a remote granite mountain near the village of Kytlym, hundreds of kilometers from the nearest city.
This underground complex is part of Russia’s “Dead Hand” system, known in Russia as Perimeter. Developed during the Cold War, the system is intended to maintain command and control over nuclear forces if leadership is incapacitated by a nuclear strike. Facility 1335 serves as a hardened command post that can withstand nuclear blasts, including those from advanced bunker-buster weapons developed by the United States. It is designed to relay encrypted orders to missile launchers and silos, ensuring a retaliatory strike even if communication with Moscow is lost.
According to documents and satellite imagery obtained through open-source investigations, the site has undergone extensive construction since 2011, with accelerated development between 2020 and 2021. The project’s scale is vast, involving the excavation of multiple underground chambers, the installation of advanced ventilation and air filtration systems capable of protecting against chemical, biological, and radiological threats, and the use of materials equivalent to those needed for a large-scale surface building. Military procurement records show massive logistical efforts, including the purchase of heavy drilling equipment, steel, and power infrastructure to support the facility’s expansion.
The revival of this facility coincides with growing tensions between Russia and Western countries amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and concerns over NATO involvement. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who first publicly discussed the need to secure nuclear command infrastructure in 2020, has repeatedly warned of potential escalation and expressed readiness to use tactical nuclear weapons if the conflict intensifies. Senior Russian military sources have described Facility 1335 as a key site where strategic missile forces stand ready to carry out retaliatory duties.
Experts in nuclear policy and defense see the expansion as part of a broader Russian strategy to modernize its nuclear arsenal and reinforce command protections against increasingly precise conventional and nuclear threats. Some analysts note that Russia’s openness about the project and its visible construction might be deliberate signals aimed at deterrence. Western intelligence agencies are reportedly aware of the facility and its enhanced capabilities.
The facility is now staffed by a substantial military garrison, with personnel conducting combat training, specialized drills, and protective exercises, including handling of chemical and biological threats. Former servicemen who served there describe a comprehensive and extensive tunnel network capable of transporting personnel by vehicle deep within the mountain.
The reactivation of the Dead Hand system is reflected in recent Russian military publications, which indicate that automation systems at Facility 1335 were placed on combat duty as recently as 2023. Russia’s build-up at this site parallels similar modernization efforts by the United States at underground command centers such as the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.
Heightened focus on deep underground facilities underscores a perceived need by Moscow to safeguard nuclear command infrastructure against potential first strikes, a concern shared by Western defense experts observing Russia’s military posture. The revival of Facility 1335 signals an intensified commitment by Russia to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent amid escalating geopolitical tensions.