William E. Odom , former director of the U.S. National Security Agency and author of '' The Collapse of the Soviet Military '' , says that Rust 's flight irreparably damaged the reputation of the Soviet military . This enabled Gorbachev to remove many of the strongest opponents to his reforms . Minister of Defence Sergei Sokolov and the head of the Soviet Air Defence Forces Alexander Koldunov were dismissed along with hundreds of other officers . This was the biggest turnover in the Soviet military since Stalin 's purges 50 years earlier
Stalin 's purges
Great Purge
Mathias Rust