Stanislav Petrov

Stanislav Petrov
Petrov circa 1983[1]
Born
Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov

(1939-09-07)7 September 1939
Died19 May 2017(2017-05-19) (aged 77)
Known for1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm incident
SpouseRaisa Petrova (m. 1973; died 1997)
Children2
Military career
Allegiance Soviet Union
Service/branchSoviet Air Defence Forces
Years of service1972–1984
RankLieutenant colonel

Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov (Russian: Станисла́в Евгра́фович Петро́в; 7 September 1939 – 19 May 2017) was a lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defence Forces who played a key role in the 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm incident.[2] On 26 September 1983, 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.[3]

His subsequent decision to disobey orders, against Soviet military protocol,[4] is credited with having prevented an erroneous retaliatory nuclear attack on the United States and its NATO allies that could have resulted in a large-scale nuclear war. An investigation later confirmed that the Soviet satellite warning system had indeed malfunctioned. Because of his decision not to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike amid this incident, Petrov is often credited as having "saved the world".[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Chan, Sewell (18 September 2017). "Stanislav Petrov, Soviet Officer Who Helped Avert Nuclear War, Is Dead at 77". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  2. ^ Mattern, Douglas (28 November 2007). Standish, Katerina; Bastet, Tatiyana; Reimer, Laura; Devere, Heather; Simpson, Erika; Talahma, Rula; Loadenthal, Michael (eds.). "Beyond Nuclear Terrorism". Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice. 19 (4). Washington, D.C., United States of America: Peace and Justice Studies Association (International Peace Research Association/Georgetown University)/Taylor & Francis: 563–569. doi:10.1080/10402650701681194. ISSN 1040-2659. S2CID 143511673. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  3. ^ Lebedev, Anastasiya (21 May 2004). Mattern, Douglas; Waldow, Rene; Ray, Tom (eds.). "The Man Who Saved the World Finally Recognized". MosNews/Association of World Citizens (AWC). San Francisco, California, United States of America: The Association of World Citizens. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Long, Tony (26 September 2007). Anderson, Chris (ed.). "Sept. 26, 1983: The Man Who Saved the World by Doing ... Nothing". Wired. San Francisco, California, United States of America: Condé Nast Publications. ISSN 1059-1028. OCLC 24479723. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  6. ^ Pedersen, Glen (1 July 2005). Smith, Susan; Jordan-Simpson, Emma; Vesely-Flad, Ethan (eds.). "Stanislav Petrov World Hero". Fellowship. 71 (7–8). New York City, New York, United States of America: United States Fellowship of Reconciliation: 9–10. Retrieved 4 September 2021 – via ProQuest.
  7. ^ Forden, Geoffrey; Podvig, Pavel; Postol, Theodore A. (1 March 2000). Hassler, Susan; Land, Susan Kathy; Zorpette, Glenn; Goldstein, Harry; Bretz, Elizabeth A.; Guizzo, Erico (eds.). "False alarm, nuclear danger". IEEE Spectrum. 37 (3). New York City, New York, United States of America: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: 31–39. doi:10.1109/6.825657. ISSN 0018-9235. Retrieved 4 September 2021.