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Archive Evidence Challenges Panic
- Eastern Bloc archives showed little indication of panic over Able Archer 83, contradicting Western narratives.
- This suggests the Cold War near-nuclear disaster story might be exaggerated or misinterpreted.
Gordievsky's Daring Escape
- Oleg Gordievsky escaped the USSR after being exposed as a double agent and narrowly avoiding capture.
- His risky escape included hitchhiking and running to a rendezvous point for extraction by MI6.
Able Archer Story Originates from Gordievsky
- The Able Archer scare story largely stems from the account of one Soviet double agent, Oleg Gordievsky.
- Later, Gordievsky himself expressed doubt about the severity of the threat, hinting possible exaggeration.