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7. Eyeball to eyeball
Episode 7 of 10
President Kennedy addresses the nation and imposes a blockade on ships bound for Cuba. Premier Khrushchev says it is “an act of piracy.” But will his ships turn back?
President Kennedy sends shockwaves around the world with a televised speech to the nation. He imposes a blockade on all ships bound for Cuba - Premier Khrushchev brands it “an act of piracy”. But he knows that hidden in a tiny Cuban port, there’s a Soviet ship laden with unimaginable destructive power. Hosts Nina Khrushcheva and Max Kennedy, relatives of the superpower leaders, tell the personal and political history of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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Sat 17 Jan 2026
23:32GMT
BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
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