Stanislav Petrov

officer of the Soviet Air Defence Forces, noted for not executing a nuclear strike during a nuclear false alarm incident (1939-2017)

Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov (Russian: Станисла́в Евгра́фович Петро́в; 9 September 1939 – 19 May 2017)[3] was a lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defence Forces.

Stanislav Petrov
Petrov at his house in 2016
Born
Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov

(1939-09-09)September 9, 1939[1][2]
DiedMay 19, 2017(2017-05-19) (aged 77)
Cause of deathPneumonia
Known for1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm incident
Allegiance Soviet Union
Service/branchSoviet Air Defense Forces
RankLieutenant colonel

On September 26, 1983, just three weeks after the Soviet military had shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007, Petrov was the duty officer at the command center for the Oko nuclear early-warning system when the system reported that a missile had been launched from the United States, followed by up to five more. Petrov judged the reports to be a false alarm,[4] and his decision is credited with having prevented an erroneous retaliatory nuclear attack on the United States and its NATO allies that could have resulted in large-scale nuclear war.

Investigation later confirmed that the Soviet satellite warning system had indeed malfunctioned.[5]

References

change
  1. "The man who saved the world". themanwhosavedtheworldmovie.com.
  2. ""Children were told, their father had a difficult job" (rus.)".
  3. "Obituary in the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), Oberhausen issue, September 9 2017 (accessed September 15 2017)". Archived from the original on 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
  4. "The Man Who Saved the World Finally Recognized". Association of World Citizens. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
  5. Long, Tony (September 26, 2007). "The Man Who Saved the World by Doing ... Nothing". Wired. Retrieved December 1, 2011.