ThePrint Cut the Clutter Pod: How CIA lost a nuclear device at Nanda Devi in Himalayas & the fascinating story of Cold War espionage
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Dec 14, 2025 A nuclear device lost near Nanda Devi during a CIA operation takes center stage, revived by recent floods. It’s fascinating to hear about the device's hazardous nature and its implications from a 1965 mission gone awry. The episode explores the layers of Cold War espionage, from surveillance strategies to the high-stakes decision-making that led to its disappearance. Captain M.S. Kohli shares his poignant insights on over-reliance on U.S. intelligence. The connections to the Larkins espionage scandal add further intrigue to this tale of mystery and misadventure.
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No Evidence Yet Of Radioactive Release
- A lost nuclear monitoring device at Nanda Devi would have shown detectable radioactivity if it detonated or leaked.
- Shekhar Gupta warns against panic absent scientific evidence of radiation in Uttarakhand.
1979 Break Revealed The Lost Device
- Kuldeep Nayar broke the story in 1979 that an IB–CIA device had been left and lost near Nanda Devi.
- The Indian Air Force later flew modified helicopters with Geiger counters to search the area.
Height Extends Surveillance Range
- Higher elevation extends line-of-sight for surveillance but has physical limits like Earth's curvature.
- The CIA–IB device was placed as high as possible to maximize monitoring into Tibet and China.
