Индигирка · October 4, 1962

Indigirka (ship)

인디기르카 호

The Soviet freighter that delivered the first nuclear warheads to Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Sailing as part of Operation Anadyr, it arrived at the port of Mariel on October 4, 1962, carrying 36 warheads for R-12 medium-range ballistic missiles, 36 warheads for FKR cruise missiles, 12 warheads for Luna tactical missiles, and 6 nuclear bombs for Il-28 bombers. This shipment marked the beginning of the Soviet nuclear deployment in Cuba; the R-12 warheads it brought were later transferred to the ship Aleksandrovsk after the crisis and returned to the Soviet Union.

Related historical events

Sources

  1. nsarchive2.gwu.edu National Security Archive: Indigirka arrived at Mariel on October 4, 1962 with 36 R-12, 36 FKR, 12 Luna warheads, and 6 Il-28 nuclear bombs. Documents the 59-day nuclear deployment timeline.
  2. Wikipedia (EN) Operation Anadyr article: overall sealift context, 86 blockade runners, the Indigirka's role as part of the transport fleet.
  3. ahf.nuclearmuseum.org Nuclear Museum: confirms 162 nuclear weapons stationed in Cuba, the Anadyr sealift, and the October 4 arrival timeline.
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