Russia Has Been Transmitting a Mysterious Radio Signal for 40 Years—And No One Knows Why

Tune to shortwave radio frequency 4625 kHz and you’ll get a taste of a mystery that has confounded the world for over four decades. The station, located in Russia, has spent over 40 years broadcasting a mysterious range of beeps, buzzes, and spoken phrases. It’s been virtually nonstop, and nobody’s ever claimed ownership or given an official explanation. More than the obscure sounds, it’s the lack of information that continues to puzzle the world. Known as UVB-76 for its first known call sign, and later nicknamed “The Buzzer,” the station has likely been broadcasting since at least the 1970s. Trying to figure out why has been a difficult task. Theories abound. Shortwave radio allows signals to travel farther—in this case they cover the whole of Russia, and beyond. Some believe the signals could be a piece of Russia’s military communication network, transmitting to submarines or troops. Maybe it’s some sort of “Dead Hand” doomsday device monitoring for nuclear attacks. The signal came to light during the Cold War, so it could be a spy network transmission. One theory is that the signal is from a numbers station, which is a radio station set up to send coded messages via numbers or using voice, Morse code, or other digital code. These stations grew in popularity at the tail end of World War I. During the Cold War, they were a useful tool to send secret messages. UVB-76’s activity only grew following the collapse of the Soviet Union. [View in Browser]( [Popular Mechanics]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Russia Has Been Transmitting a Mysterious Radio Signal for 40 Years—And No One Knows Why]( [Russia Has Been Transmitting a Mysterious Radio Signal for 40 Years—And No One Knows Why]( [Russia Has Been Transmitting a Mysterious Radio Signal for 40 Years—And No One Knows Why]( Tune to shortwave radio frequency 4625 kHz and you’ll get a taste of a mystery that has confounded the world for over four decades. The station, located in Russia, has spent over 40 years broadcasting a mysterious range of beeps, buzzes, and spoken phrases. It’s been virtually nonstop, and nobody’s ever claimed ownership or given an official explanation. More than the obscure sounds, it’s the lack of information that continues to puzzle the world. Known as UVB-76 for its first known call sign, and later nicknamed “The Buzzer,” the station has likely been broadcasting since at least the 1970s. Trying to figure out why has been a difficult task. Theories abound. Shortwave radio allows signals to travel farther—in this case they cover the whole of Russia, and beyond. Some believe the signals could be a piece of Russia’s military communication network, transmitting to submarines or troops. Maybe it’s some sort of “Dead Hand” doomsday device monitoring for nuclear attacks. The signal came to light during the Cold War, so it could be a spy network transmission. One theory is that the signal is from a numbers station, which is a radio station set up to send coded messages via numbers or using voice, Morse code, or other digital code. These stations grew in popularity at the tail end of World War I. During the Cold War, they were a useful tool to send secret messages. UVB-76’s activity only grew following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Tune to shortwave radio frequency 4625 kHz and you’ll get a taste of a mystery that has confounded the world for over four decades. The station, located in Russia, has spent over 40 years broadcasting a mysterious range of beeps, buzzes, and spoken phrases. It’s been virtually nonstop, and nobody’s ever claimed ownership or given an official explanation. More than the obscure sounds, it’s the lack of information that continues to puzzle the world. Known as UVB-76 for its first known call sign, and later nicknamed “The Buzzer,” the station has likely been broadcasting since at least the 1970s. Trying to figure out why has been a difficult task. Theories abound. Shortwave radio allows signals to travel farther—in this case they cover the whole of Russia, and beyond. Some believe the signals could be a piece of Russia’s military communication network, transmitting to submarines or troops. Maybe it’s some sort of “Dead Hand” doomsday device monitoring for nuclear attacks. The signal came to light during the Cold War, so it could be a spy network transmission. One theory is that the signal is from a numbers station, which is a radio station set up to send coded messages via numbers or using voice, Morse code, or other digital code. These stations grew in popularity at the tail end of World War I. During the Cold War, they were a useful tool to send secret messages. UVB-76’s activity only grew following the collapse of the Soviet Union. 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