19-10-2023 (BEIJING) Rare and intriguing footage emerged on Wednesday, revealing Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, accompanied by officers carrying the fabled “nuclear briefcase,” a device used to authorize a nuclear strike. The sight of Putin walking to a meeting in Beijing, flanked by security and followed by two Russian naval officers in uniform, each carrying one of these briefcases, drew the attention of the world.
The Russian nuclear briefcase, traditionally carried by a naval officer, goes by the name “Cheget,” derived from Mount Cheget in the Caucasus Mountains. This briefcase is a constant companion of the president but is rarely captured on film.
Kremlin correspondents from the state news agency RIA commented, “There are certain suitcases without which no trip of Putin’s is complete,” on their Telegram channel, alongside the footage.
In another clip, Putin departs from a meeting in Beijing, with the naval officers once again visible just a few paces behind him. The Russian president appears to be in good spirits as he descends a flight of stairs.
Notably, the U.S. president also possesses a similar device, known as the “nuclear football.” This satchel contains the codes required by the president to authenticate a launch order for nuclear missiles in the event they are not at the White House.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has significantly heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, reaching levels not seen since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. These developments coincide with China’s efforts to enhance its nuclear capabilities in line with its status as an emerging global superpower. On Tuesday, Russia’s parliament took the initial step towards withdrawing its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and a top Russian lawmaker even warned that Moscow might consider entirely abandoning the treaty.
In essence, the nuclear briefcase serves as a secure communication tool that links the president to the military’s top brass, and through them, to the rocket forces via the highly confidential “Kazbek” electronic command-and-control network. The Kazbek system is connected to another network known as “Kavkaz.” The Russian defense minister, currently Sergei Shoigu, also possesses a nuclear briefcase, and the chief of the general staff, currently Valery Gerasimov, may have one as well.
In 2019, Russia’s Zvezda television channel displayed what it claimed to be one of these briefcases, complete with an array of buttons. In a section labelled “command,” two buttons stood out: a white “launch” button and a red “cancel” button. To activate the briefcase, a special flashcard is required, according to Zvezda.
One of the nuclear briefcases used by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin is on display at the Yeltsin Museum in Yekaterinburg.
Putin’s visit to Beijing represents his second known trip outside the former Soviet Union since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022.
Putin’s “nuclear suitcase”, with which one can give an order to launch a nuclear strike, came into the lenses of journalists.
The video showed Putin, after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, heading to another meeting surrounded by security guards and followed… pic.twitter.com/5JxO1qK2gW
— yalnız kurt (@MApodogan) October 18, 2023
