A Russian “doomsday” radio station broadcast some codes this week. Why?

May 22, 2025 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

Shortwave radio bands are filled with strange signals from mysterious transmitters in some odd parts of the world. Sometimes called “numbers stations,” they crackle to life at random times with disembodied voices reading what sounds like a coded message. This old tech is perfect for transmitting and receiving important information secretly and anonymously.

Around the time Donald Trump was on the phone with Vladimir Putin this week, Russia’s Soviet-era “doomsday” radio station, officially known as UVB-76 but commonly referred to as The Buzzer, broadcast this: NZhTI 89905 BLEFOPUF 4097 5573.

A few hours later, this broadcast this: NZhTI 01263 BOLTANKA 4430 9529.

What was this? A nuke code?

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Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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