There is only one place in the world where you can descend into a fully preserved, decommissioned Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile command bunker — and stand at the launch console that was connected to real nuclear warheads aimed at American cities.
That place is 18 kilometres south of Kyiv, and we go there on Sundays.
What the museum is
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War — popularly known as the “Missile Museum” or the Strategic Missile Forces Museum — is housed inside a decommissioned Rocket Army base. It was operational from 1959 until 1991, when Ukraine declared independence and subsequently agreed to transfer or destroy the Soviet nuclear arsenal on its territory under the Budapest Memorandum.
The irony that the country which voluntarily gave up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the US, and the UK is now fighting for its survival — that irony is not lost on any visitor.
What you see underground
The bunker descends 12 floors below ground. The guided path takes you through:
- The launch command post — the actual room from which a missile strike could be ordered. Two officers were required simultaneously to turn their keys. The console is intact. The equipment is real.
- The communications room — including the dedicated hardened line to Moscow that could not be monitored or tapped
- The living quarters — officers rotated in 10-day shifts underground, with no natural light and limited communication with family
- The missile silo — you descend to the base of the silo and look up at the space where a 33-metre ICBM stood ready for launch
The RS-20 “Voevoda” missile (NATO designation: SS-18 Satan) had a range of 11,000 kilometres and carried 10 independently-targeted nuclear warheads. Each warhead had a yield of 550–750 kilotons — roughly 40 times the Hiroshima bomb.
Multiply that by the number of silos that were once operational across Ukraine, and you begin to understand what “the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal” means in concrete terms.
Why this hits differently in 2025
This museum was always impressive. Since February 2022, it has become something else entirely.
Standing at that launch console and knowing that Ukraine surrendered the weapons that could have deterred this invasion — in exchange for promises that were broken — makes the history visceral in a way no textbook can replicate. Visitors don’t just learn about nuclear deterrence in the abstract. They feel the weight of the specific decisions that led to this specific war.
Practical information
- The museum is located near the village of Pobuzke, approximately 18 km south of Kyiv
- Tours depart on Sundays and take a full day (approximately 8 hours including transport)
- The underground section requires physical ability to descend stairs — not suitable for those with severe mobility limitations
- Some parts of the bunker can be cold year-round; bring a layer regardless of season
We keep group sizes small. You will not be shuffled through with 40 strangers. The conversation that happens underground, between the guide and guests, is part of what makes this tour what it is.