Soviet nuclear warheads inhabited Cuban territory for 59 days. The United States had little to no knowledge of large cargo held on Arkhangelsk. The ship carried in total 98 tactical nuclear warheads for a variety of missiles including FKR-1, Luna launcher, and 6 nuclear bombs. These numbers do not include missiles that had arrived to Cuba but were never unloaded.
The entirety and exact details of the Cuban Missile Crisis have remained a mystery to many for decades. However, documents written by Major General Igor Statsenko and Lieutenant General Nikolai Beloborodov in the 1990’s depict an accurate illustration of the events that took place in Cuba.
The original Soviet plan for Operation Anadyr was approved on June 10th, 1962. This plan allowed the Soviet Group of Forces in Cuba 80-land based front cruise missiles. About four months later, Khrushchev extended the limit and added 12 tactical Luna launchers with 12 warheads and 6 nuclear bombs. The strategic missiles known as R-12 and R-14 could not be fired without direct orders from Moscow. These missiles were very fatal and dangerous. Therefore, just having them, posed a huge threat to the world because many people believed Soviet commanders had the capability to launch them without the official order.
The entire world sat on edge as the Soviet’s infiltrated Cuba with large amounts of nuclear weapons. On October 28th, Khruschchev gave his word to withdraw the nuclear weapons from Cuba. Prime Minister Anastas Mikoyan was sent to Cuba to supervise the removal of the missiles and work with Cuban officials to negotiate a peaceful future for both nations. Mikoyan’s main job was to remove all “offensive weapons” from Cuba. When he realized this was easier said than done, he decided to handle the situation with a different approach. To keep Cuba as a Soviet ally, Mikoyan wanted to strengthen Cuban defenses while decreasing Soviet presence. Mikoyan proposed that the Cuban personnel be trained by Soviets and with time, the operation of all approved weapons would be transferred to Cuban operators. At the same time, on his own, Khrushchev agreed to different terms with the United States. The Cubans began taking their fury out on Mikoyan and the U.S. Castro ordered the Cubans to shoot a low-flying U.S aircraft, sending an intense message to all. Mikoyan realized that their Cuban ally had a mind of it’s own and would not always follow the Soviet’s playbook. Mikoyan, Khrushchev, and the rest of the Soviet’s came to the realization that it would be too risky and dangerous to follow through with the original plan of transferring the nuclear weapons to Cuban operators.
At Mikoyan’s last meeting with Castro, he explained that the weapons could not be transferred. Castro desperate for power begged Mikoyan to transfer the weapons. Castro proposed diabolical plans such as hiding the weapons in caves. The Soviet’s did not give in, and continued with the removal of the weapons. Finally, on November 25th, the Soviet troops began removing the warheads from Cuba. Arkhangelsk departed Cuba on December 1, 1962 putting an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB449/