Yuri Ivanovich Drozdov | |
|---|---|
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Yuri_Drozdov.jpg) Drozdov in the 1970s | |
| Native name | Юрий Иванович Дроздов |
| Born | 19 September 1925 Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union (now Belarus) |
| Died | 21 June 2017 (aged 91) Moscow, Russia |
| Buried | Troyekurovskoye Cemetery, Moscow |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Service | Red Army (1943–1956) KGB (1956–1991) |
| Years of service | 1943–1991 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Known for | Overseeing the "Illegals Program" during the Cold War |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards |  Order of Lenin (1981) |
| Alma mater | Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy |
| Spouse(s) |
Lyudmila Yudenich (after 1943) |
| Children | 2 |
Yuri Ivanovich Drozdov (Russian: Юрий Иванович Дроздов; 19 September 1925 – 21 June 2017) was a Soviet security official. In 1979, he led Operation Storm-333, formally triggering the Soviet–Afghan War.[1][2] Later, as a high-level agent of the KGB, he oversaw the execution of the "Illegals Program" in the United States from 1979 until 1991.[1] Drozdov was a recipient of the Order of Lenin, which was conferred to him in 1981.[3]
- ^ a b Smith, Harrison (21 June 2017). "Yuri Drozdov, Soviet spymaster who planted agents across the West, dies at 91". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Dolgopolov, Nikolai (September 2010). "Interview of a Soviet Spymaster". Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Translated by Hackard, Mark. Retrieved 6 December 2017 – via espionagehistoryarchive.com.
- ^ "ДРОЗДОВ Юрий Иванович" [The history of domestic special services and law enforcement agencies: Drozdov, Yuri Ivanovich]. История отечественных спецслужб и правоохранительных органов (in Russian). Retrieved 6 December 2017.