As Russia ramps up its aerial attack on Ukrainian cities, the Pentagon has set up a hotline with military officials in Moscow to avoid a miscalculation or accidental encounter that could quickly spiral into a conflict between superpowers.
Known officially as a Deconfliction Line, it was set up March 1, 2022, and is located at the U.S. European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. It operates under the command of Air Force General Tod Wolters, who wears two hats as commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander.
On Friday, a senior Defense Department official confirmed the existence of the dedicated phone line and said it is being staffed — at least on the U.S. side — on a daily basis.
The Russians “answered the phone in the initial test,” the Pentagon official said. “They know who’s calling. It worked. They did answer the line.”
The U.S. and Russia set up a similar phone line in 2017 when both nations were conducting air operations over Syria.
“We’re on the phone with [the Russians] 15 to 20 times a day just trying to make sure their operation and our operation stay separate,” Air Force Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom said at the time while he was a senior commander of the U.S.-led bombing campaign.