Yulian Olminsky was a brigadier in the Soviet Air Force during World War III. He commanded the Soviet airbase at Prague in July 1951. Although he was a general, he could still be overridden by the MGB. Thus, even though one of his flyers, Boris Gribkov was a decorated Hero of the Soviet Union eager to fly again, Olminsky had to keep him grounded as Gribkov was also judged unreliable after his navigator Leonid Tsederbaum committed suicide the month before. When Gribkov begged Olminsky to let him fly again, Olminsky was fairly forthcoming about why he would not.