Ciphergram No. 15677

Dispatched from Moscow on 24.10.1962 at 16:00

Received on 24.10.1962 at 19:40

Came into the Deciphering Department on 24.10.1962 at 20:00

To: [Foreign Ministry Director General Maria] WIERNA, URGENT, EYES ONLY

From: PASZKOWSKI

Based on Cieslak’s conversations with the board members of Pravda (10.24 at noon):

When the initial information arrived regarding the heated consultations in Washington, the [Soviet] comrades believed that this was a typical pre-election bluff. Therefore, when Kennedy made the statement it was both a surprise and a wake-up call.

All of the interlocutors generally agree that even if the conflict were to take place based on individual encounters then one could isolate [localize] it. This subtext will be included in the materials prepared for publication in the press for tomorrow. They think that the Americans will not shoot, but instead “block the road” and impose arrests.

The Soviet ships were given orders to continue moving towards Cuba. It takes 2-3 days to get to Cuba and therefore tonight it will be the first time for the Soviet ships to “come in contact with Kennedy’s orders carried out in practice.”

They are receiving information from all over the country [Soviet Union] about the calm and disciplined attitudes of the Soviet people. They will not exacerbate the tensions more than necessary. Pravda intentionally emphasized Khrushchev’s presence at the opera during the visit of the Romanian delegation.

They are expecting that the Chinese will exacerbate tensions. “They will triumph.” The conflict in Cuba, however, will not have any serious consequences when it comes to the moods of the more conservative part of the society or the party apparatus.

Received by the following comrades: […]¹

[1] Gomulka, Cyrankiewicz, Gierek, Jedrychowski, Kliszko, Loga-Sowinski, Ochab, Rapacki, Spychalski, Zambrowski, Zawadzki, Jarosinski, Strzelecki, Starewicz, Wicha, Moczar, Korczynski, Naszkowski, Wierna, Michalowski, Birecki, Katz-Suchy, Siedlecki, Milnikiel, Krajewski.