Stanislav Petrov

Stanislav Petrov was a Soviet military officer who, in 1983, prevented a potential nuclear war by correctly identifying a false warning of an incoming missile attack. When early warning systems indicated an American missile launch, he judged it to be a malfunction rather than a real threat, despite pressure to report an attack. His decision avoided escalation into nuclear conflict during tense Cold War moments. Petrov’s judgment and calm decision-making are credited with averting disaster, highlighting the importance of human judgment in automated systems related to national security.