Mysterious 'Judgment Day Radio' broadcasts cryptic 2-minute message

Daily Mail​

22-05-2025

A mysterious radio station known as 'Judgment Day Radio' was beamed from Russia just as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone.
The suspicious timing of the broadcast has raised eyebrows among intelligence officials, as it occurred during high-stakes discussions between the two leaders aimed at negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine.
On May 19, during the call, the station about 18 miles from Moscow transmitted two coded messages: 'NZhTI 89905 BLEFOPUF 4097 5573', followed a few hours later by 'NZhTI 01263 BOLTANKA 4430 9529.
The code was translated and released in an audio clip.
Stations like UVB-76, Cold War-era relics, are infamous for their monotonous buzzing, occasionally broken by bursts of seemingly meaningless code phrases.
But many experts believe these interruptions are anything but random.
Nicknamed 'Dead Hand Radio' or 'Judgment Day Radio,' the station is suspected to be part of a secret military communications network—possibly even a failsafe tied to Russia 's nuclear command system.
While the White House described the call between Trump and Putin as 'productive,' highlighting mutual interest in energy, infrastructure, and maritime ceasefire negotiations in the Black Sea, the strange radio activity has stirred public curiosity and concern.
The true significance of the transmissions remains unclear, but their timing, content, and origin continue to fuel speculation.
Some believe it might be a 'Dead Hand' doomsday trigger, designed to automatically launch nuclear weapons if Russia's leadership is incapacitated.
Professor David Stupples, an expert in electronic and radio engineering at City, University of London, suggested the enigmatic broadcasts are likely a fail-safe kept active in case of nuclear war.
Amateur ham radio operators and independent researchers first took serious interest in The Buzzer, officially known by its original call sign UVB-76, in 1982.
At that time, the station broadcast only a series of cryptic beeps.
But by 1992, the pattern evolved: buzzing noises began repeating 25 times per minute, each lasting less than a second, occasionally accompanied by an ominous foghorn-like sound.
Throughout the 1990s, the buzzes were sporadically interrupted by anonymous male and female voices reading what appeared to be lists of random names, words, or numbers.
The pitch and tone of the buzzing also varied, possibly encoding secret information through subtle audio shifts.
This odd variety of transmissions is what drew Professor Stupples and other researchers to UVB-76 in the first place. According to him, the diversity of sounds is highly unusual for a basic 'emergency placeholder' signal.
During the conversation on May 19, the station near Povarov broadcasted two distinct messages: 'NZhTI 89905 BLEFOPUF 4097 5573' and following up in few hours with 'NZhTI 01263 BOLTANKA 4430 9529'
A government or military agency simply trying to hold a frequency would typically broadcast a repetitive, simple tone or test pattern.
Instead, UVB-76 transmits complex, unpredictable signals, and does so with enormous power, reportedly using thousands of watts and broadcasting in all directions, based on Professor Stupples's measurements.
The Trump-Putin call lasted over 90 minutes, focusing on negotiating an initial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
While both leaders agreed in principle to begin de-escalation, the Kremlin ultimately dismissed the idea of full ceasefire.
After the call, Putin praised President Trump for 'US support in resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine,' according to a statement released through Kremlin-controlled media.
However, Russia then attacked, striking a civilian minibus in Ukraine's Kherson region, wounding a 65-year-old woman.
Following the call, Trump issued a strongly worded remark on his Truth Social platform, escalating the tension.
'It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people are dying!!!' he said.
He blasted recent Russian strikes on Kyiv and warned Putin that he would face 'very bad punishment,' implying economic ramifications if hostilities continued.
In February, UVB-76 sent similar cryptic messages during another Trump-Putin call, raising concerns the station may be used to send military alerts or contingency plans.
Moreover, Russia has not provided an official explanation for its broadcasts, but experts warns to jump on any conclusions as it can ignite the geopolitical tensions.