A mysterious Russian radio signal has been transmitting continuously since 1982 and no one knows why

For nearly four decades, Russia has broadcasted a mysterious radio signal that has baffled the world. No one knows where it comes from, why it’s being sent, or who’s behind it. Speculation has ranged from espionage to even alien communication, according to VOI. These outlandish theories show just how much this signal has intrigued people. But Popular Mechanics suggests there may be an even more unusual reason for this eerie broadcast.

Theories suggest that random beeps, buzzes, phrases and more have been prevalent since the 1970s. No one has ever taken ownership or claimed to be responsible for receiving or sending the same. The reason why people believe them to be related to the military or Russian spies is that the transmission commenced during the Cold War. Starting with beeps, the signal changed subtly to buzzes and came to be known as “The Buzzer” in the 1990s. It was supposedly being transmitted from a Russian military base in the town of Povarovo up to 2010. However, in 2010, there was pure silence one day and the signal wasn't passed. 

Soon, in the same year, the location of the unusual signal shifted and it became tougher to track it. It then began coming from multiple government official sites. When the “Povarovo” site was visited in the early 2000s by unauthorized explorers, they found nothing but a guard dog chained there. A logbook discovered on the site had entries suggesting that the site had been cleared 90 minutes prior. An expert in the research and development of space-based reconnaissance, surveillance and navigation systems, David Stupples believes the signal is still a mystery. “I think to find the whole truth—and nothing but the truth—I think it would have to come from the Russian Federation themselves.” 

He pointed out that it was “almost certain” that Russian officials had been sending the signal. “If it is the Russian government, it wouldn’t be for peaceful purposes,” he added. The expert believes that the signal might be kept intact to ensure communication in case of war and other dilemmas. Should there be a communication loss due to any disaster or unforeseen circumstances, the signal would be a backup mode of communication. “They may be just reserving the channel for air defense or some form of defense,” Stupples explained. Speaking of the buzzes and sounds coming, he pointed out that they were unintelligible. 

“I have put it through my signal spectrum analyzers, and I can’t pick any intelligence out at all,” Stupples mentioned. This is probably due to the need to maintain consistency with the channel. “If they don’t actually use it, someone will poach it. The band is so crowded that people will look for a small opportunity for a channel of their own. They are keeping the channel available by broadcasting and saying, ‘this is ours,’” he explained. There are still other theories moving around and many are unsure about the exact reason behind the transmissions.