Crossword Genius

Red led USSR astray, having lost control (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rudderless

'having lost control' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'red led ussr astray' is the wordplay.
'astray' indicates an anagram.
'red'+'led'+'ussr'='redledussr'
'redledussr' anagrammed gives 'RUDDERLESS'.

(Other definitions for rudderless that I've seen before include "Without steering mechanism" , "not yielding power to steer" , "Lacking direction" , "Having lost control" , "Unable to provide guidance" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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