Not to worry you, but Russia’s “doomsday” radio station UVB076 just sent out four strange messages after four years of silence

If you have access to a shortwave radio, you can hear all kinds of strange broadcasts emanating from…somewhere. Some are known as “numbers stations” that periodically feature a voice in a foreign language reading out strings of numbers. It’s a cheap, low-tech, non-traceable way for spies to communicate with each other. It’s spooky listening.

Then there are stations like UVB-76, also known as “The Buzzer” because it usually has sent out a boring buzz, 25 times a minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week since 1975. You can find it at 4625 kHz on shortwave or at this website.

Occasionally, the buzz is interrupted by a Russian voice using a specific protocol. (Example: “NZhTI NZhTI 34 511 GOLOSOK 80 17 81 54”). Shortwave fans keep an ear on UBV-76 because–well, they don’t want to miss anything important.

Other than the usual buzz, the station has been quiet–until this week, when four cryptic messages were broadcast in 24 hours. Just four words: Neptune, Thymus, Foxcloak, and Nootabu. Something similar happned in February when 25 messages were broadcast in 24 hours. They were Synopsis, Boulevard, Coarsening, Bastard, Optoshum, Elecbase, Shtatognome Commissar and Volkokran. Something similar happened last December.

So, is this just an equipment test? Or is something bigger afoot linked to the military or Russian’s nuclear arsenal? Stay tuned.