The Soviet Submarine that Saved the World from a Deadly Special Weapon

In the fall of 1962, one of four Soviet Foxtrot-class submarines set course for Cuba outfitted with a nuclear torpedo. B-59’s mission was no small feat, as the island the submarine was hovering over had been placed under strict blockade by President John F. Kennedy.

Upon being noticed by American radars, a US Navy task force began forcing the Russian submarine to come to the surface. However, the Soviets believed they were being attacked.

On October 27, 1962, for approximately four hours and about 400 feet below the Caribbean Sea, a quiet Russian naval officer found himself in the middle of a nuclear standoff alongside his captain, the consequences of which could alter the world forever.

The only thing that now stood between a full-fledged nuclear war and the world’s safety was Vasili Arkhipov…