Kennedy and Khrushchev: 4. Almost caught
From The Bomb by BBC World Service
December 22, 2025 · 36 min · Season 3 · Episode 4
About this episode
The episode discusses the covert operations during the Cuban Missile Crisis, focusing on the actions of Kennedy and Khrushchev.
A covert convoy of ships carries Soviet missiles across the Atlantic, while American U-2 planes spy over Cuba and the sea routes. And as the ships arrive, Khrushchev writes to Kennedy about the divided city of Berlin. It’s a distraction tactic. But the American spy planes photograph an alarming development. Hosts Nina Khrushcheva and Max Kennedy, relatives of the superpower leaders, tell the personal and political history of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
People in this episode
Hosts: Nina Khrushcheva, Max Kennedy
Topics covered
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- Cold War
- US-Soviet relations
- spy planes
- political history
Keywords
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- Khrushchev
- Kennedy
- U-2 planes
- Soviet missiles
- Berlin
- Cold War
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Cuba, Berlin
More episodes of The Bomb
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- Kennedy and Khrushchev: 10. Fallout · February 2, 2026 · 43 min
- Kennedy and Khrushchev: 9. Black Saturday · January 26, 2026 · 40 min
- Kennedy and Khrushchev: 8. The logic of war · January 19, 2026 · 38 min
- Kennedy and Khrushchev: 7. Eyeball to eyeball · January 12, 2026 · 38 min
- Kennedy and Khrushchev: 6. Kennedy’s move · January 5, 2026 · 37 min
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