MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev sent his condolences to the family of Army Gen.
Valentin Varennikov, who died at the age of 85, the
presidential press service said on Wednesday.
Decorated with the titles Hero of the Soviet Union and
Knight of the Order of Glory, Varennikov was the former first
deputy chief of the Soviet General Staff (1979-1989), commander
of the Ground Forces, and deputy defense minister of the
U.S.S.R.
During the war in Afghanistan, Varennikov was the Defense
Ministry envoy to Kabul.
In the August 1991 coup attempt, he was among the
masterminds of a plot to overthrow former Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev. When the coup failed, Varennikov was prosecuted
along with others accused of involvement, but was eventually
acquitted by the Russian Supreme Court.
He was the only member of those accused who refused to
accept an amnesty.
In 1995, Varennikov was elected to the State Duma on a
Communist Party ticket. He was head of the Duma Veterans'
Committee.
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