Stanislav Petrov

Soviet officer who averted a potential nuclear war in 1983

On September 26, 1983, Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov (1939–2017) prevented nuclear catastrophe by dismissing a false missile alert. When Soviet early-warning systems detected U.S. missiles, Petrov, trusting intuition over protocol, reported it as a system error. His decision averted retaliatory strikes during Cold War tensions.

Dubbed the man who saved the world, Petrov faced official scrutiny but later received global recognition, including the Dresden Peace Prize. Documentaries like ‘The Man Who Saved the World’ immortalize his calm under pressure. His story underscores the fragility of nuclear deterrence.