Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov (Юрий Владимирович Андропов) is the premier of the Soviet Union. The former chairman of the KGB, Andropov ascended to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1981, after the death of wikipedia:Leonid Brezhnev. His tenure saw a marked deterioration of relations with the United States, as the Soviets clashed with American President Ronald Reagan over Cold War policy and the militarization of space.
In 1983, Andropov declared his support for the Soviet-aligned regime of Omar Torrijos in Panana, which was partially occupied by the United States. As the world neared nuclear war, the USSR deployed its fleet off the coast of Panama, and Andropov personally told Reagan that the Soviets would use force to prevent Sea Dragon 17 (thought to be carrying nuclear weapons) from reaching the Jamestown lunar base. The crisis was eventually defused after the success of the Apollo-Soyuz mission caused Ronald Reagan to land Air Force One in Moscow to meet Andropov.
Behind the scenes
Yuri Andropov is one of many characters that For All Mankind borrows from the real-world; he is seen in archival footage and through the use of a voice actor. In real-life, Andropov's tenure also saw several nuclear scares with the United States, such as the Able Archer 83. Andropov died in 1984.