This was Russia today Friday, December 12, 2025

Howdy, folks. Today, I look at a new investigation into the Russian military’s most secretive unit: the special service responsible for the president’s “nuclear briefcase.” Also, stick around for news about Europe’s handling of frozen Russian assets and fraudster Jan Marsalek’s Russia-linked dealings in Libya. Yours, Kevin.

The men behind Putin’s nuclear briefcases and Russia’s launch chain

A new investigation by the Dossier Center sheds light on one of the most secretive units in Russia’s armed forces: the Special Service for Strategic Communications, known internally as Service “K.” Its officers accompany and top military leaders around the clock, carrying the so-called nuclear briefcases — computer terminals that allow the president to transmit an order to launch Russia’s strategic missiles. Journalists identified dozens of Service “K” officers by analyzing publicly available photographs of Putin at official events, using facial-recognition tools, leaked databases, and internal documents obtained from a source close to the unit. In total, at least 53 people have been linked to Service “K” since 2021, including a general, dozens of colonels, and several navy captains.

Service “K” is closely tied to the automated command system known as Kazbek, whose best-known component is the Cheget terminal — the physical “briefcase” itself. The system is designed so that the president and senior commanders do not operate the device alone: trained officers carry, maintain, and secure the terminals, with at least two briefcases present at all times, one serving as a backup. Many of these officers previously worked at the Strategic Missile Forces’ central command posts near Moscow, in hardened underground facilities built to function even during a large-scale nuclear war.

Despite the sensitivity of their work, many Service “K” officers live relatively modest lives, mostly in a closed town outside Moscow. Their pay rose after 2022 but remains comparable to that of other contract officers. Some, however, have left extensive digital footprints, posting photos from official events or maintaining profiles on social networks and even dating apps — a striking contrast with the unit’s extreme secrecy.

Dossier Center also examines the so-called “Perimeter” system, often referred to as the “Dead Hand,” which is designed to guarantee a retaliatory nuclear strike even if Russia’s political and military leadership were wiped out. Activated in advance of hostilities, Perimeter monitors signals indicating nuclear detonations on Russian territory and checks whether contact with the country’s command structure remains intact. If communications still exist, the system shuts down. If they do not, Perimeter authorizes the launch of special “command missiles” that transmit encrypted orders directly to launch crews. In that scenario, surviving missile units or submarine crews would still have to carry out the strike themselves, acting on the transmitted command rather than through direct authorization from national leaders.

Dossier Center’s investigation comes amid a renewed escalation in nuclear rhetoric and policy. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has ordered nuclear forces on special alert, suspended participation in the New START treaty, and approved updated nuclear deterrence guidelines. Russian officials have also publicized tests of systems such as the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile. In this context, the people physically enabling nuclear command decisions have taken on new significance.

The Archive Collection: Nothing can stop Meduza from releasing anniversary merch — even if we have to make it ourselves. Check out our latest drop now!

We have a new tradition here at Meduza: every year on our birthday, we update the merch in our online store, Magaz. In 2025, we turned 11 — and despite the considerable challenges we’ve faced this year, we’ve found a pretty original way to bring you a new collection. Here’s a look at the latest clothing and accessories you can buy to rep Meduza and support our work.

News you don’t want to miss today

🇪🇺 E.U. freezes Russian assets to bypass Hungary and Slovakia on Ukraine aid, but Italy sides with Belgium on ‘reparations loan’ 🇺🇦

The European Union has indefinitely frozen Russia’s state assets held in Europe, using emergency economic powers to prevent Hungary and Slovakia from blocking their use to support Ukraine.

• What comes next: By invoking a special treaty procedure, E.U. leaders sidestepped the requirement for unanimous approval. The decision locks down roughly €210 billion in Russian assets, most of which are held at Belgium’s Euroclear.
• Pushback and risks: Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico denounced the move as illegal, while Russia’s Central Bank has sued Euroclear, warning that using the assets violates international law. | AP
• Additional resistance: Italy has joined Belgium, Malta, and Bulgaria in opposing the Commission’s plan to use frozen Russian assets directly, urging alternative financing for Ukraine instead. Rome’s intervention complicates efforts to finalize a deal ahead of the December 18–19 E.U. summit and underscores growing legal and political unease within the bloc over the seizure of funds. | POLITICO

🕶️ Wirecard fugitive’s Libya empire reveals Russian intelligence ties and Telegram link 🇷🇺

An investigation by The Financial Times traces how stolen Wirecard funds followed Jan Marsalek into Libya, where business deals doubled as channels for Russian influence and intersected with Moscow-linked networks, including those linked to Telegram’s founder.

• A Russian footprint: Leaked documents and emails show Marsalek (now in Moscow under the Russian state’s protection) secretly financed Libyan cement and oil-services assets while cultivating ties to eastern Libyan power brokers aligned with the Russian-backed warlord Khalifa Haftar. The projects blended commercial stakes with geopolitical utility, reinforcing Marsalek’s role as an agent of influence for Russian intelligence after the German payments company Wirecard collapsed.
• The Telegram connection: Marsalek also drew Libyan partners into a proposed crypto investment tied to Telegram after being introduced to its founder, Pavel Durov. Although the token sale was ultimately blocked, the episode underscored how Marsalek leveraged Kremlin-adjacent tech ventures and offshore finance to move money and consolidate networks. Ongoing court battles now expose the scale — and fragility — of this Russian-linked shadow empire. | FT

🕊️ As Trump pushes Kyiv to accept a peace deal, Russia attacks nine Ukrainian cities at once and plans a major push in Donbas | Russian forces are pressing coordinated offensives across multiple fronts while preparing a potentially decisive bid for the Kramatorsk area, leveraging ongoing peace talks to consolidate battlefield gains and strengthen their negotiating position.

🪖 Kremlin aide suggests Donbas ‘demilitarized zone’ with Russian police and National Guard presence | A senior Kremlin aide said Moscow could accept a ceasefire only if Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donbas, leaving the region under Russian administrative control enforced by police and the National Guard rather than regular troops.

👾 Anti-war activist Grigory Sverdlin says hackers have paralyzed Russia’s military draft database for several months | Hackers reportedly spent months inside the systems behind Russia’s digital draft register, extracting data and knocking key functions offline, leaving the platform partially disabled and delaying its full enforcement.

🏫 Russia’s biometric school security plan promises safety but risks students’ personal data | Even with participation voluntary, Russia’s proposed use of facial recognition in schools could normalize the collection of children’s biometric data, expose families’ information, and ultimately make sensitive personal information accessible far beyond the classroom.

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