Is there a Soviet doomsday device called "Perimeter" or "Dead Hand"? I stumbled upon an article on wired.com which told details about an automatic nuclear retaliation system build by the soviets in the mid-eighties. This system is supposed to ensure destruction of the US even if the Russian chain of command is wiped out or broken. While the article seems credible at first glance, there are some suspicious things about it: Single (named) members of the construction/design crew are supposed to have leaked information, while the US government denies knowledge thereof while Russian authorities don't even bother to comment. Is this a well known internet hoax, or is there evidence to the actual existence of a ex-soviet doomsday device?

The system mentioned in article had existed in reality although there is no information on its real automatization level. The missile provides emergency command link and the command center is probably situated 3000ft under Yamantau mountain.
Current state of the Perimeter system is unknown. 15A11 missiles were decommissioned in 1995 under START-I treaty but strategic missile catalog published in 1998 (ISBN:5866560798) mentioned another command missile based on RT-2PM design. If the information is true then these may still be operational as of 2012. No other credible information on the system was published since then.