Medical service of the 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation: from the origins to development prospects

The US monopoly possession of nuclear weapons and the results of its use against Japan at the end of the Second World War gave rise to the desire of politicians of the Western world to use it against the USSR. It became clear that in the conditions of the «cold war» this, eventually, could happen. The USSR leadership took measures to create a reliable nuclear shield and establish the 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. From the day of foundation of the 12th Main Directorate, one of the main directions of its activities are measures to maintain high professional efficiency and preserve the health of personnel, as well as to protect personnel from the damaging factors of ionizing radiation.

history of military medicine, protection of personnel, elimination of accident consequences, ionizing radiation, radiation damage