What goal did Soviet leaders hope to achieve by placing nuclear missiles in Cuba?

Soviet leaders aimed to deter a U.S. military invasion of Cuba by placing nuclear missiles on the island. After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, there was a significant concern within the Soviet Union that the United States might attempt to oust Fidel Castro’s regime. By installing missiles just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, the Soviet Union sought to provide a strategic advantage that would protect Cuba from potential U.S. aggression, effectively creating a credible threat that the U.S. would have to consider before taking military action against Cuba.

This move was also a demonstration of military strength and a counterbalance to U.S. nuclear capabilities, as the U.S. had missiles positioned in Europe and elsewhere that could reach Soviet territory. Therefore, the placement of these missiles formed part of a broader strategy to not just safeguard Cuba but to assert Soviet geopolitical interests in the Western Hemisphere, signaling a serious commitment to defending its allies against perceived threats from the United States.