I didn't realize how Mathias Rust single-handedly brought about the demise of the Soviet Union -- until I read Wikipedia:

"Rust's flight through a supposedly impregnable air-defense system had great effect on the Soviet military and led to the dismissal of many senior officers, including Defence Minister Marshal of the Soviet Union Sergei Sokolov and the head of the Soviet Air Defense, former World War II fighter ace pilot Chief Marshal Alexander Koldunov. The incident aided Mikhail Gorbachev in the implementation of his reforms (by removing numerous military officials opposed to him), and reduced the prestige of the Soviet military among the populace, thus helping bring an end to the Cold War.[1]"

There is no weapon too short for a brave man (which Rust proved a few years later when he stabbed a co-worker who spurned him).