Stanislav Petrov

Petrov is a retired lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Air Defense Forces. In September 1983, during a tense era in US-Soviet relations, Petrov deviated from standard Soviet protocol by correctly identifying a missile attack warning as a false alarm. His decision may have prevented an erroneous retaliatory nuclear attack on the US and its allies. Investigation of the satellite warning system later confirmed that the system had malfunctioned. What happened to Petrov after the incident? More… Discuss