Clancy's books were not published in the Soviet Union (for obvious reasons) though copies made their way to the country in increasing numbers in 1989/1990. An August 1990 commentary in Izvestia notes that the Soviet Union frequently criticized Clancy's work in its official media throughout the 1980s and that the media viewed him as a "Pentagon Songster" and that he made his fortune on exploiting the enmity between the two countries. In particular, they criticized the fact that the Soviets were always the aggressors in his work and left the U.S. no option but to rebuff the Soviets with hard power. Many also took offense to Clancy basing Hunt for Red October on the real-life attempted mutiny by the political officer of the Soviet ship Storozhevoy. Many also believed that Clancy wrote the books directly at the behest of the Pentagon and CIA.

The Hunt for Red October was also purchased by members of the Soviet Embassy in Washington D.C. presumably for study, as there were initial questions about whether classified material appeared in the book. Secretary of the Navy John Lehman told Clancy that his reaction upon reading the book was to ask "Who the hell cleared this." While, Clancy was able to demonstrate to naval officers before publication that he had sourced all his material through unclassified channels it was still an issue of discussion and debate. CIA officers at the time noted that it and the follow up Red Storm Rising were books they "hoped the Soviets read." This is because they tended to exaggerate U.S. technical capabilities in a believable way which would assist in efforts to deter the Soviets and create a belief in U.S. military superiority among Soviet leaders.