Russia would only need 30 minutes to retaliate against a nuclear attack.

The Cold War was a period of intense confrontation between the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, with many instances pushing the world to the brink of destruction by nuclear weapons.

The threat of a preemptive nuclear strike from an adversary forces countries to devise plans to counter and retaliate in order to increase deterrence. Russia has also finalized its nuclear retaliation plan within 30 minutes of an attack, based on response programs developed during the Soviet era, according toRBTH.

Russian strategists assumed the country would suffer a preemptive nuclear attack at 6 PM Moscow time. This was morning in the US and beginning to get dark in Moscow, a time when people were returning home and traffic congestion could occur, making evacuation difficult.

Within one minute of detecting the launch of an enemy intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Russia's early warning network will send an alert signal to the missile defense command center. A series of long-range radar systems and satellites will determine the launch location, speed, and trajectory of the ICBM, thereby calculating the time it will reach its target.

If the Russian Ministry of Defense confirms that the country is facing a nuclear preemptive strike from US territory, the Russian government and its citizens would have less than 30 minutes to evacuate to safety. This time could be much shorter if the missiles were launched from US strategic submarines in the Arctic, Atlantic, or Pacific Oceans.

Three minutes after confirming a nuclear preemptive strike, the military will launch an operation to evacuate the Russian President and government officials to several secret locations. One of these is the Tupolev Tu-214SR command and control aircraft, one of two planes that always accompany the Russian President on his travels.

The aircraft possesses a range of modern equipment, including the MRC-411 intelligence complex with electronic reconnaissance sensors, synthetic aperture radar for detecting distant threats, and numerous signal reconnaissance and secret communications intelligence systems. The Tu-214SR helps the Russian President maintain contact with the armed forces and order retaliatory strikes in the event of nuclear war. It is known as the "doomsday plane," playing a role similar to the American E-4B Nightwatch.

The Kremlin appears to possess at least three Tu-214SR aircraft, each costing approximately $152 million.

Ten minutes after an enemy ICBM is launched, the Russian president can choose to activate the automated nuclear command system known as Perimeter, also called the "Death Hand." This ensures that the Russian military can launch a nuclear retaliatory strike even if the entire leadership is killed or the ability to command strategic forces is disrupted.

The decision to launch the missile is made by an automated control system developed on the basis of sophisticated artificial intelligence. Perimeter will receive and analyze information about seismic activity, radiation levels, atmospheric pressure, and the concentration of military radio frequencies.

When it detects a location with strong ionization and electromagnetic radiation, the system compares it to unstable seismic data in that same area to determine the likelihood of a massive nuclear attack on Russia. If so, Perimeter will automatically launch a retaliatory strike.

Similar to the US, the Russian government also has contingency plans in place in case the President is killed in a preemptive strike. The Russian Prime Minister would be the first to assume presidential power to maintain command of strategic forces.

Within 15 minutes of detecting an enemy ICBM, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) is responsible for notifying the population. This agency usually prioritizes evacuating people to suburban areas in dangerous situations, but this option is not feasible in the face of a preemptive nuclear attack.

The MChS (Ministry of Health and Social Security) developed a plan to utilize a series of public underground shelters for citizens. The Moscow subway network was one of the best evacuation sites. The stations were located deep underground, minimizing the immense pressure and heat from the nuclear explosion, and many stations were equipped with thick steel doors and air filters to prevent the spread of radiation.

"The estimated time for people to get to subway stations and tunnels after receiving evacuation notices is 10 minutes. In some cases, this time can be extended to a maximum of 15 minutes," analyst Nikolay Shevchenko quoted from the emergency plan approved by the Russian Ministry of Construction.

Thirty minutes after detection, the enemy's first nuclear warheads would detonate in the skies over Moscow and other major Russian cities. By this time, the entire government and military command, as well as many Russian citizens, would have already taken shelter. The country's ballistic missiles in a nuclear retaliation would also be en route to their targets, ending a swift but catastrophic nuclear war capable of causing global annihilation.