The Black Brant XII, a suborbital sounding rocket, was intended for scientific research and was launched on January 25, 1995, from the Andøya Space Center in Norway. Its purpose was to gather data on the atmosphere, a relatively benign goal. However, as the rocket ascended, it was detected by Russian radar systems, which interpreted the trajectory as a potential incoming ballistic missile attack from the United States. The Russian military, under the command of the Strategic Rocket Forces, initiated emergency protocols in response to the perceived threat. This included a discussion among top officials regarding the possibility of retaliating with a nuclear strike.

In the heart of this crisis, Russian President Boris Yeltsin was alerted, and the situation escalated rapidly. The nuclear briefcase, known as the Cheget, was activated, giving Yeltsin the ability to launch a retaliatory strike. Fortunately, Russian analysts took the time to verify the information and soon realized the threat was a false alarm, caused by the rocket's appearance on radar rather than an actual missile launch. This incident, lasting approximately 10 minutes, could have led to catastrophic consequences had the misinterpretation not been resolved quickly.