Dmitriy Feodorovich Ustinov (30 October 1908-20 December 1984) was the Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1984, succeeding Andrei Grechko and preceding Sergei Sokolov.
Biography[]
Ustinov was born to a working-class family in Samara, and he joined the Russian Communist Party in 1927. During World War II he fought in the Siege of Leningrad and was awarded the title of "Hero of Socialist Labor" by dictator Joseph Stalin. Later, he played a major role in the German missile program.
In 1976, after Andrei Grechko died, he became the new Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union under Alexei Kosygin. He was responsible for directing the activity of the Soviet Army during the Soviet-Afghan War, and during his tenure Soviet forces assassinated President Hafizullah Amin of Afghanistan and installed a new communist government. His death in 1984 ended his term.