this beast is the duga-3, a 900 metre-long radar system based just outside chernobyl that was used during the cold war to detect anti-ballistic missiles from as far as thousands of miles away. the signal it transmitted apparently sounded like a woodpecker, hence the nickname ‘the russian woodpecker’, and was so strong that it resulted in worldwide complaints following disruptions to various broadcasts. at times it could even be heard during telephone calls.



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more info here.