Russia's dead hand: What is Medvedev warning Trump about?

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has issued a stark reminder to US President Donald Trump about Russia's devastating nuclear strike capabilities, including its so-called ‘Doomsday’ systems. The warning came amid escalating rhetoric between world powers. Notably, Trump warned Medvedev to ‘watch his words.’

In a post on Truth Social, Trump responded to the remarks of Dmitry Medvedev, saying he was a failure as a President. Medvedv, who is the Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, had been matching Trump's maglomaniac standards in the war of words. He had mocked Trump's ‘ultimatum’ to Russia of 10 days to end the Ukrainian invasion with his eagerness for war.

Trump warned that if a ceasefire is not reached within 10 days, he will impose sanctions on Russia and its oil buyers. He said, both Russia and India can go down with their ‘dead economy’. In response, Medvedev reminded Trump about his favourite film, ‘Walking Dead’, recalling the Soviet era, how dangerous the fabled 'Dead Hand' can be.

What is the ‘Dead Hand’?

Dead Hand, also known as the Perimeter, is a Cold War-era semi-automated nuclear retaliation system. It is termed as Russia's ‘Doomsday Device’, it is for a post-apocalyptic scenario. The terrifying purpose of this device is to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike even if the Russian leadership is completely wiped out. The dead hand is designed to detect nuclear strikes through seismic, radiation, and pressure sensors. Then it would check if the Russian hierarchy of command is still functional. If communication from the top leadership is lost and no human input is received, it will automatically trigger a nuclear launch from the missile silos, submarines and mobile launchers at pre-set targets. The machine is the last resort to ensure mutual destruction. The Doomsday Radio is believed to be the communication system for the dead hand; it transmits commands, launch codes to the dead hand. It is an ultra-low-frequency radio system that is designed to survive if all communication systems are destroyed. Together, they make the doomsday system, the last stage of Cold War era deterrence. Even though the reality of Doomsday Radio is debatable, the Dead Hand is real. But much about it is shrouded in mystery.