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| Stanislav Petrov dead: The Soviet officer who 'saved the world' by averting nuclear war dies aged 77 | Stanislav Petrov dead: The Soviet officer who 'saved the world' by averting nuclear war dies aged 77 |
| (4 months later) | |
| A Soviet officer who averted thermonuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union has died aged 77. | |
| Soon after midnight on 26 September, 1983, duty officer Stanislav Petrov was in charge of an early warning radar system in a bunker near Moscow when computer readouts suggested several missiles had been launched from the US towards the USSR. | Soon after midnight on 26 September, 1983, duty officer Stanislav Petrov was in charge of an early warning radar system in a bunker near Moscow when computer readouts suggested several missiles had been launched from the US towards the USSR. |
| The protocol for the Soviet military would have been to launch a retaliatory nuclear attack, but Mr Petrov decided not to alert his superiors. | The protocol for the Soviet military would have been to launch a retaliatory nuclear attack, but Mr Petrov decided not to alert his superiors. |
| "I had all the data [to suggest there was an ongoing missile attack]. If I had sent my report up the chain of command, nobody would have said a word against it," he told the BBC's Russian Service in 2013. | "I had all the data [to suggest there was an ongoing missile attack]. If I had sent my report up the chain of command, nobody would have said a word against it," he told the BBC's Russian Service in 2013. |
| However, he suspected a computer error, believing a first-strike nuclear attack by the US would likely involve hundreds of simultaneous missile launches. | However, he suspected a computer error, believing a first-strike nuclear attack by the US would likely involve hundreds of simultaneous missile launches. |
| "All I had to do was to reach for the phone; to raise the direct line to our top commanders - but I couldn't move. I felt like I was sitting on a hot frying pan," he told the BBC. | "All I had to do was to reach for the phone; to raise the direct line to our top commanders - but I couldn't move. I felt like I was sitting on a hot frying pan," he told the BBC. |
| The duty officer decided to call the Soviet army's headquarters to report a system malfunction. | The duty officer decided to call the Soviet army's headquarters to report a system malfunction. |
| "Twenty-three minutes later I realised that nothing had happened. If there had been a real strike, then I would already know about it. It was such a relief." | "Twenty-three minutes later I realised that nothing had happened. If there had been a real strike, then I would already know about it. It was such a relief." |
| Despite receiving praise for his decision, he was also officially reprimanded for failing to describe the incident in the logbook. | Despite receiving praise for his decision, he was also officially reprimanded for failing to describe the incident in the logbook. |
| The near-crisis came at a time of heightened tensions between the US and USSR, three weeks after the Soviet military shot down Korean Air Lines flight 007, killing all 269 on board. | The near-crisis came at a time of heightened tensions between the US and USSR, three weeks after the Soviet military shot down Korean Air Lines flight 007, killing all 269 on board. |
| It was later determined the false alarms were caused by a rare alignment of sunlight reflecting from clouds, which was mistaken for a missile launch. | It was later determined the false alarms were caused by a rare alignment of sunlight reflecting from clouds, which was mistaken for a missile launch. |
| Mr Petrov retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. | Mr Petrov retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. |
| When his story was made public in 1998, he was widely praised for his actions, and given an award addressed "to the man who averted a nuclear war," by the Association of World Citizens in the UN headquarters in New York. | When his story was made public in 1998, he was widely praised for his actions, and given an award addressed "to the man who averted a nuclear war," by the Association of World Citizens in the UN headquarters in New York. |
| “At first when people started telling me that these TV reports had started calling me a hero, I was surprised," he told RT in 2010. | “At first when people started telling me that these TV reports had started calling me a hero, I was surprised," he told RT in 2010. |
| "I never thought of myself as one – after all, I was literally just doing my job." | "I never thought of myself as one – after all, I was literally just doing my job." |
| Mr Petrov died 19 May at his home in a small town near Moscow. | Mr Petrov died 19 May at his home in a small town near Moscow. |