 began dropping practice depth charges to signal "B-59" to surface; however the captain of the Soviet submarine and its "zampolit" took these to be real depth charges.With low batteries affecting the submarine's life support systems and unable to make contact with Moscow, the commander of "B-59" feared that war had already begun and ordered the use of a 10-kiloton nuclear torpedo against the American fleet.The "zampolit" agreed, but the flotilla commander Vasili Arkhipov, realizing that the use of "toy" depth charges meant the US vessels were only harassing them, not attacking them, refused permission to launch.