Edited title for better context.
This story always give me chills because it reminds me that mistake can happen everywhere, and sometimes there's just one rational person between us and catastrophe. This was was way too close for comfort, as they say.
The US has similar stories. On at least three occasions, NORAD false alarms could have triggered nuclear war. The Soviet submarine B-59 also nearly launched a nuclear attack during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when a US vessel unwittingly antagonised them, not realising they carried nuclear weapons. Ordinarily, only the captain and political officer were required to approve a launch. They both did. Fortunately, flotilla commander Vasili Arkhipov's presence mandated his approval as well. As the lone dissenter, had Arkhipov not been on B-59 that day, the Cuban Missile Crisis would have gone very differently.
After a quick look over the frontpage, this looks right down my alley. I'll give it a read!