The United States admitted that during the Cuban Missile Crisis there was a Soviet “mole” working in the CIA, who was never exposed

Soviet intelligence introduced an agent into the US CIA in the period preceding the Cuban Missile Crisis , whom the Americans failed to identify.

According to Robert Kennedy Jr., the nephew of US President John F. Kennedy and the son of the Secretary of Justice, US Attorney General Robert Kennedy, the main negotiator on the American side during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the planted agent was never caught. “We still don’t know who it was,” Robert Kennedy said in an interview with TASS First Deputy General Director Mikhail Gusman for the documentary “23 Years and 14 Days in the Life of the Ambassador.” As TASS notes, November 16, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding diplomat and public figure, Ambassador of the USSR to the USA Anatoly Dobrynin. The release of the film is timed to coincide with this date.

According to Bobby Kennedy's descendant, this Soviet "mole" worked very successfully. Thanks to his activities, the attempts of the American intelligence services to acquire their own agents in the highest echelons of power in the USSR were promptly stopped. “As soon as the CIA sent its agents into the Kremlin, they were destroyed on the information of the mole. And as a result, the CIA knew nothing about what was happening in the Kremlin,” said Robert Kennedy Jr.

In this regard, he admitted that the 35th President of the United States John Kennedy did not receive, during the Cuban missile crisis that broke out in October 1962, any information about the plans of the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, since American intelligence simply did not managed to obtain such information. “My uncle didn’t know anything about Khrushchev’s plans. He asked the CIA: “What kind of person is this Khrushchev?” What's on his mind? What is he going to do?" But he could not get any information. He had never communicated directly with Khrushchev," Robert Kennedy Jr. emphasized.

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In addition, he recalled that around the same time, the first telephone hotline was created between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States. In the USA, it was laid, including on the estate of the Kennedy clan on the Cape Cod Peninsula (Massachusetts).

“After the Berlin crisis, for the first time in history, a direct telephone line was established between the White House and the Kremlin. And in my brother’s house on Cape Cod, there is still a telephone wire from this line sticking out of the wall. When I was little, at my uncle’s presidential residence there was a “red telephone” on Cape Cod, and if he called it, then Khrushchev answered him at the other end of the line. They needed such a “hot” line to talk directly, because they knew that they could not trust theirs. entourage, military, intelligence and administration: neither Khrushchev nor Kennedy. Their entourage had completely different goals and plans. And, it is clear that in such a situation our leaders needed to talk to each other directly,” added Robert Kennedy Jr. .

Chronicle of the Cuban Missile Crisis

January 1962. The United States is seeking the exclusion of Cuba from the Organization of American States (OAS) and is beginning an economic blockade of Liberty Island, which has active trade and economic relations with the USSR.

February 20, 1962. The White House approves a new deadline for overthrowing the Fidel Castro regime after several unsuccessful attempts to invade Cuba. US President John Kennedy was informed that the United States had a group ready to seize the island: 400 thousand people, 300 ships, 2000 aircraft. The plans of the American side become known to the Soviet leadership.

May 1962. In a conversation with one of the Soviet leaders, Anastas Mikoyan, the head of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev, for the first time touched upon the topic of deploying missiles in Cuba. In his opinion, only nuclear missiles could provide reliable defense of Liberty Island. At a meeting in the Kremlin, Khrushchev declares that by the fact of the deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba, the CPSU Central Committee decided to “slip” a “hedgehog” into America.

Spring-summer 1962. The United States announces the Jupiter Springs military exercise. In the waters near Cuba, ships of three fleets are concentrated - the 2nd Atlantic, 6th Mediterranean, 7th Pacific. US strategic aircraft are in the air around the island around the clock. The CIA developed a plan, code-named "Mongoose", aimed at undermining and overthrowing the Castro regime. It was approved by President Kennedy. The USSR knows about this.

June 1962. A secret agreement was signed in Moscow between Cuba and the USSR on the deployment of Soviet missiles on the island.

July 1962. Moscow is providing military assistance to Cuba as part of Operation Anadyr to prevent the American invasion of the island, scheduled for October 1962. It is planned to transfer troops and medium-range missiles RR-12 and RR-14 to the island. Air defense units were also sent there - 6 anti-aircraft missile and artillery regiments. A total of 184 voyages were made to Cuba by 85 ships of the merchant fleet, on the decks of which there were tractors and seeders, and in the holds - anti-aircraft guns, missiles and soldiers. So 42 medium-range missiles were brought to the island, which were serviced and guarded by a 40,000-strong contingent of Soviet troops.

August 1962. Soviet intelligence intercepts several encryption messages from American agents in Cuba. The CIA resident, who had more than 100 agents on Liberty Island and was later arrested, reports to Langley - the headquarters of American intelligence in the United States - accurate data on the deployment of Russian missiles.

October 14, 1962. American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft detect launch pads for medium-range missiles on the island. The construction of missile bases in the mountainous areas of the island is captured on film. The first photographs of several ready-made launch sites for RR-12 missiles have been received. The missiles themselves are not filmed.

October 16-17, 1962. The US President was presented with photographs of Soviet missile launch sites in Cuba and the conclusion of military experts. The White House is creating a “crisis group” under the president, which includes his aides and advisers, heads of law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies, and ambassadors. The Americans conclude: 16 or 32 missiles with a range of over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) are ready for action. Within minutes of the missiles being launched, an estimated 80 million people in the United States are expected to die.

October 18, 1962. USSR Foreign Minister Alexei Gromyko meets with Kennedy during a short visit to the United States. The issue of US and USSR policies in connection with Cuba is discussed. The dialogue takes place within the framework of a discussion about “defensive” and “offensive” weapons in Cuba, but without references on either side to the presence of Soviet missiles on the island.

October 20, 1962. Kennedy receives from the military and intelligence agencies a detailed plan of action against Cuba. It included the following points: the destruction of missile launchers by air bombing, a military invasion of the island by US troops, strengthening the blockade, conducting secret negotiations with the Soviet side through diplomatic channels, and bringing the problem of missiles in Cuba for discussion at the UN.

October 22, 1962. The Soviet ambassador is urgently summoned to the White House by the US Secretary of State. He conveys a personal message from the President for the Soviet leader on the Cuban issue and to deliver the text of the message from the head of the United States to the American people, which he is scheduled to deliver at 7 pm on radio and television. In his address, the president accuses the USSR of pursuing an aggressive policy and states that Cuba has become an outpost of the USSR in the Western Hemisphere, which is installing missiles on the island capable of delivering nuclear strikes on Washington, New York, Mexico, and the Panama Canal. To stop the buildup of Soviet nuclear potential, a strict maritime quarantine is introduced against Cuba - a blockade of the island. The President says he has ordered the US Navy to stop and inspect all ships heading to Cuba; bring the country's armed forces to a state of combat readiness; submit a resolution to the UN Security Council demanding that the USSR dismantle the launchers and remove them from the island. The President emphasizes: the blockade is only the first step; the Pentagon has been ordered to carry out further military preparations.

The Soviet embassy is holding a meeting with the heads of intelligence services - foreign and military intelligence - in connection with the brewing crisis and the need to collect operational information for Moscow about developments.

The arrest of Oleg Penkovsky, an agent of American and British intelligence, was announced in Moscow. This GRU officer had access to important military and government information.

October 23, 1962. The Soviet Ambassador has a conversation with the President's brother Robert Kennedy, the Secretary of Justice, who conveys the President's views on his dissatisfaction with the Soviet leader's secret deployment of missiles in Cuba. The American side has information that, contrary to the statement of USSR Foreign Minister Gromyko, Soviet missiles appeared on the island, covering almost the entire territory of the United States. The president's brother asks: "Is this a weapon for defensive purposes that you, Gromyko, the Soviet government and Khrushchev spoke about?"

October 24, 1962. A “quarantine” for visiting Soviet ships to the ports of Liberty Island comes into force. The blockade is carried out by the US Navy. After this, USSR ships are instructed to “drift” near the conditional “border line.” However, one of the ships continues to move through the formation of American warships and finds itself under the guns of their guns: the captain of the ship "Vinnitsa" had a radio failure, but neither Cuba nor the United States knew about this. Subsequently, Soviet ships did not cross the “quarantine line”.

October 25, 1962. A nuclear drill was declared in the United States. After the alarm signal, panic arose among the population: they were buying food, essential goods for survival in difficult conditions, fleeing the cities...

October 26, 1962. An official statement is made by the Presidential Press Secretary, which states: the construction of missile sites in Cuba gives grounds for the US government to take more serious measures against Cuba. It is noted in the press, on radio, and television: the bombing of missile bases is taking first place - tactical and strategic aviation has been put on alert.

At this time, American pilots are negotiating in the air and on the ground, asking their command posts to start bombing the island in plain text. Castro orders his armed forces to shoot down without warning all enemy warplanes that appear over Cuba.

October 27, 1962. In the morning, radars in Cuba capture a target - an American plane moving from the direction of the Guantanamo Bay base. The radar screens show the target entering Cuba. The command post gives the command: “Destroy the target!” The plane was shot down by two missiles within a few seconds of each other. The front part of a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft with the body of the pilot was found at the crash site. The Cubans later handed over the body to US officials.

On that day, which the Americans called “Black Saturday,” Khrushchev sent Kennedy a letter saying that the USSR agreed to withdraw missiles - “those weapons from Cuba that you consider “offensive.” Khrushchev proposed “withdrawing similar American missile weapons from Turkey.” .

In a response letter, Kennedy announced his readiness to resolve the Cuban crisis on the following conditions: the USSR removes missiles and other offensive weapons from Cuba, and the United States lifts the blockade and gives assurances that Cuba will not be invaded by either the United States or other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Khrushchev receives a telegram from Castro with a proposal to use the threat of the Soviet side using nuclear weapons in negotiations with the Americans if the United States decides to bomb Cuba.

In the evening, the Soviet ambassador met with Secretary of Justice Robert Kennedy, who conveyed the president’s request to quickly obtain Soviet consent to stop the construction of missile sites in exchange for the lifting of the “quarantine.” It is also reported that the issue of a base in Turkey is the responsibility of NATO, but the president promises to reach an agreement with the allies and remove missiles from this country within 4-5 months.

The night of October 27-28, 1962. Members of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee, leaders of the Council of Ministers and the USSR Ministry of Defense are discussing the US proposal to withdraw Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for a guarantee of non-interference in the internal affairs of this country and respect for its sovereignty. Diplomats, marshals and generals, representatives of Soviet intelligence services - foreign and military intelligence - speak. A solution has been found: the Soviet leader’s appeal to Kennedy will be broadcast in clear text on Moscow radio at 17:00.

October 28, 1962. According to Soviet intelligence, the Americans are planning to bomb Soviet missile bases in Cuba on October 29-30. There is apparently misinformation circulating through intelligence services - American and Soviet - that the president is going to make an important address on television to the nation about Cuba. Perhaps this is the decision to bomb.

An hour before the expected speech, the Soviet embassy receives an urgent telegram from the Kremlin: immediately contact the president and tell him that his proposal is understood in Moscow and Khrushchev’s detailed response will be positive. The text of Khrushchev's response was broadcast to Radio Moscow and the American Embassy at the same time in order to get ahead of the president's expected speech.

The American side agrees to the proposed compromise. Nuclear disaster is avoided.

October 29, 1962. The President is given a confidential message from Khrushchev, which speaks of understanding the position of the American side on the issue of missile bases in Turkey. It is proposed that this consent be formalized.

October 30, 1962. Kennedy, in a confidential message to Khrushchev, confirms his agreement to the liquidation of American military bases in Turkey, but asks not to link this issue with the Cuban events.

November 1, 1962. Khrushchev, in a confidential letter to Kennedy, writes: “To our general satisfaction, we have overstepped, perhaps even our pride. Apparently, there will be paper scrapers who will look for fleas in our agreement, to dig to see who has conceded more to whom. And I would say - both of us gave in to reason and found a reasonable solution that made it possible to ensure peace for everyone."

November 20, 1962. Nuclear warheads, stored separately from missiles, have been removed from Cuba.