[1] Gusev was subsequently appointed as head of the Soviet military mission in Angola in 1987, succeeding Lieutenant General Leonid Kuzmenko.

[1] In this role, Gusev directly planned and supervised combat operations for the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA), with the oversight of Angolan Defence Minister Pedro Pedalé.

[2] He was the senior Soviet general officer involved in Operation Saluting October, and the resulting Battle of Cuito Cuanavale.

[3] The Soviet troops primarily served in technical and support roles, although circumstances often dictated they fight alongside their Angolan peers if attacked by UNITA insurgents or South African expeditionary forces.

[3] Gusev also garnered criticism for ordering offensives without taking into account the logistical challenges and technical shortcomings of the Angolan forces expected to execute these complex operations.