The story of how Soviet naval officer Vasili Arkhipov averted a catastrophic war on October 27, 1962, when the Cuban missile crisis was at its height. The submarine on which he worked had been surrounded by American craft, which then launched depth charges to drive it to the surface. Its captain, who could not contact his superiors in Moscow, feared a war had begun, and decided to fire the submarine's deadliest weapon - a torpedo carrying a nuclear payload. However, to launch it, he required the consent of his fellow senior officers - leaving chief of staff Arkhipov facing a terrifying dilemma. The programme features reconstructions of events from the day, as well as an interview with Arkhipov's widow.