UVB-76, 'The Buzzer'
On a shortwave frequency, a short buzz has repeated, minute after minute, for more than forty years.
What was reported
On 4625 kHz, listeners with a shortwave radio can hear a short, harsh buzz repeated about 25 times a minute, day and night. Radio enthusiasts nicknamed it 'The Buzzer'. It has been broadcasting since at least the early 1980s.
Every so often, the buzz stops and a man's voice reads out a short message in Russian: a code word, a string of numbers and Russian names. No one has publicly explained what the messages mean.
Explanations offered
It is widely believed to be a Russian military station, and its transmitters have been traced to sites in western Russia. Its purpose is unknown. Suggestions include keeping the frequency reserved, checking that a communications channel is working, and passing orders to military units.
- When
- On air since at least the early 1980s
- Where
- Western Russia
- Witnesses
- Radio listeners worldwide
- Status
- Purpose unknown
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.