U-2 Spy Plane Downed: Cold War Crisis

In May 1960, a U.S. U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, leading to a major Cold War crisis. The mission aimed to photograph Soviet missile sites, but the plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile, and pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured. The White House initially claimed the plane was a weather plane, but the Soviets had proof, exposing the lie and causing a diplomatic storm. The incident exposed flaws in U.S. intelligence technology and forced both sides to rethink covert operations amid rising nuclear fears. The U-2 drama had lasting consequences, poisoning diplomacy...