Putin invests heavily in reviving Cold War-era nuclear retaliation bunker

A joint probe by one outlet, Danwatch and the Dossier Centre uncovered that Vladimir Putin has allocated vast resources to modernise an existing underground site, known as Facility 1335 or Object 1335, in the Urals foothills near Kytlym. Since 2011, tenders have funded the construction of a multistorey-sized structure, new access tunnels and at least 24 sealed chambers equipped with advanced ventilation to filter chemical, biological and radioactive threats, using roughly 20,000 tonnes of steel and concrete covering over 150,000 square metres.

The hardened complex is designed to survive US bunker-busting weapons and could shelter hundreds of troops and senior officials after a large-scale conflict. Colonel Yu Andreev, a veteran of Russia’s aerospace defence forces, said the facility was placed on combat duty in 2023, a year after the invasion of Ukraine, signalling Moscow’s long-term planning for a broader war with the West. The revival of the Dead Hand system underscores Putin’s intent to deter Western intervention and his fear of rapid, targeted strikes similar to those used against Iran and Venezuela.