A Russian TV network has given a rare glimpse into the mobile system the Kremlin would use to spark Armageddon.
The case, which has a personalised key code, is under 24/7 supervision and completely controls Moscow’s nuclear arsenal.
It is reportedly supervised by an armed security officer who accompanies no-nonsense Putin wherever he travels.
The briefcase, called Cheget in Russian, was developed in the early 1980s and has now been shown to the public for the first time, with it being opened and its contents viewed up close on TV.
According to local media, although the case is often seen in the hands of an aide alongside Putin, there are actually not just one but three in total.
Each is accessible by the three most highly-ranked officials in the Russian Federation.
Those Russian officials are currently Putin, 67, Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valeriy Gerasimov.
Observers say the most unusual aspect of the briefcase is that the launch button is actually white and not red as is commonly thought.
The case was presented on television in a detailed manner for the first time by Zvezda, a TV channel run by Russia’s Ministry of Defence.
Describing the inner workings of the nuclear briefcase, the TV presenter commented that it was the first time such a device was permitted to be opened on television.
TV presenter Alexei Yegorov explained: “One of the briefcase’s components is a flash card. It is individual, and it is one of the keys that is entered (into the system).”
He added that they were not allowed to disclose other sensitive information related to the briefcase’s functions.
Putin has already boasted Russia is developing an “unstoppable” nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile which cannot be intercepted by any anti-missile system on earth.
The newly developed hypersonic rocket with “unlimited range” was one of several unveiled by the Russian leader in his state of the nation address in Moscow.
They include a nuclear-powered cruise missile, a nuclear-powered underwater drone and the hypersonic missile which apparently have no equivalent.
