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Russia's Ghost Radio Station

How It Works

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Issue 114

A mysterious shortwave signal is broadcasting an eerie buzz, but nobody knows why

Russia's Ghost Radio Station

A short, monotonous buzz being broadcast 24 hours a day is currently being emitted from a radio station at an unknown location in Russia. The mysterious sound repeats at a rate of 25 times a minute, broken only by the occasional live Russian voice transmission. Is the signal used for military communications, perhaps just a channel marker to keep the frequency busy so it is easier to use? Or is the sound the result of something more sinister? The earliest known recording has been dated to 1982, and many theories have been proposed since then.

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