Nikolai Vasilyevich Ogarkov ( ; 30 October 1917 in the village of Molokovo , Tver Governorate – 23 January 1994 , Moscow ) was a prominent Soviet military personality . He was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1977 . Between 1977 and 1984 , he was Chief of the General Staff of the USSR . He became widely known in the West when he became the Soviet military 's spokesman following the shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 near Moneron Island in September 1983 . He was dismissed as Chief of the General Staff on 6 September 1984
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
Nikolai Ogarkov