It would still have to be maintained.
Not a small order.
According to the article, it is still maintained.
It's not so much a "device", as a command-and-control system that will survive any attack. What makes it a "dead hand" system is procedures that activate if certain conditions are met... one of which is the cut-off of communications with the General Staff.
The US has a similar system: the Looking Glass that was airborne 24 hours/day until 1990. But, while it is still on continuous alert, it is no longer constantly airborne. And it doesn't simply grant command authority to someone that is expected to push the button without question.