This is a report sent by the intelligence services to the Prime Minister
in September 1964.
The background to this note is a series of confusing reports emerging from
Moscow in September 1964.
A number of Japanese officials visited Khrushchev at that time. Khrushchev
apparently told the Japanese that the USSR had a new weapon which could destroy
the whole world.
Khrushchev later denied that he said this. He claimed that he had been misunderstood.
Despite this, reports in the press and investigations by the intelligence
services continued for weeks afterwards.
One reason may be that the USSR did develop and test a 50 megaton superbomb
in 1961. This test was the largest man made explosion ever. The USSR did develop
at least two more of these superbombs.
