This is a rare opportunity to hear a top Russian nuclear expert speak on nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence. Colonel (Ret) Valery Yarynich will discuss nuclear command and control, nuclear posture, nuclear crises, and nuclear weapons as a threat to human survival. For the last decade or so, Colonel Yarynich has been a strong voice for de-alerting and abolition of nuclear weapon systems. He has published and presented widely on these issues, including at the United Nations. Colonel Yarynich is a signatory to Global Zero, an international movement for the elimination of all nuclear weapons, along with former heads of government and prominent figures in the military, politics, academia, religion, business, the media and NGOs.

Colonel Yarynich has 30 years of experience in the Soviet/Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, including in its command and control systems. On retiring from the military in 1992, he joined the Moscow Institute of World Economy and International Relations. From 2001 to 2004, he was a visiting professor at California State University, San Bernardino where he wrote Nuclear C3: Command, Control Cooperation. Valery Yarynich is now with the Institute of USA and Canada Studies (ISKRAN), at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

Centre for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (CNND) seeks to contribute to worldwide efforts to minimise the risk of nuclear weapons use, stop their spread and ultimately achieve their complete elimination, including through the production of a regular ‘state of play’ report on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

This lecture is presented by the CNND at the Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University.