Much of what we know about this rescue mission comes from the captain's written report. The captain was an experienced sailor by the name of Ruslan Lakanin. From Lakanin's diary, we know that the atmosphere on the boat was tense.
He and his men had agreed they had to act, but they had serious concerns. They knew that if they got too close to the mother, it was their own lives which might have required saving. These were brave men.