Брежнев и кнопка

Из интервью генерала Данилевича Джону Хайнсу, 21 сентября 1992 года:

In the early 1970s we conducted three exercises in which we considered the consequences of a strategic nuclear exchange assuming a US first strike. In 1972, the GS [генеральный штаб - Б.] conducted the final the final exercise in the series and Brezhnev, Kosygin, Grechko, and several members of the government took part. We presented to them the results of our computer models, as we then saw them, of the consequences of a nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union. Brezhnev and Kosygin were visibly terrified by what they heard. We explained our conclusions that after the strike the Armed Forces would be reduced to 1/1000 of their previous strength; 80 million citizens would be dead; 85% of the industrial capability of the Soviet Union would be destroyed; the European part of the USSR would be contaminated by radiation at extremely lethal levels of 3000 roentgens. Given all of this, the consequences of a retaliatory strike against the US would be even more lethal to that country. During the exercise three launches of ICBMs with dummy warheads were scheduled. Brezhnev was actually provided a button in the exercise and was to "push the button" at the appropriate time. Marshal Grechko was standing next to him and I next to Marshal Grechko. When the time came to push the button, Brezhnev was visibly shaken and pale and his hand trembled and he asked Grechko several times for assurances that the action would not have any real-world consequences. "Andrei Antonovich, are you sure this is just an exercise?"

Далее Данилевич говорит, что после этого Брежнев отказался участвовать в подобных учениях.

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