4the blockade against Cuba

President Kennedy was informed of the missile build-up in Cuba and announced a blockade, demanding the Soviet Union withdraw its missiles. Khrushchev responded that Soviet ships would not observe the blockade but did not confirm the missiles' presence. As the blockade began, missile-carrying ships and a Soviet submarine neared the blockade zone. However, at 10:32 a.m., the twenty Soviet ships closest to the zone stopped or turned around.