"Nikolai" is the code-name for a Russian mercenary and spy who notably worked with Western forces during the events of the Second Russian Civil War, World War III, and the al-Qatala War.
Biography[]
Early life and military career[]
The man known as Nikolai was born on 7 August 1969, in the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He joined the Soviet Army at a young age, fighting in the Soviet-Afghan War as part of an anti-tank rifle unit as Senior Sergeant. Nikolai also trained as a pilot during his time in the Soviet Army, learning to fly helicopters and cargo aircraft. Nikolai was eventually reassigned to serve as an embassy guard in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he developed a dissatisfaction with the Soviets' foreign policy. As a result, MI6 recruited him as an informant.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Nikolai joined the FSB as an agent, accomplishing Russian interests across the globe while informing MI6 about these accomplishments. During this time, Nikolai met Lieutenant John Price of the SAS' Bravo Team, forming a bond during a mission together. As a result, when the Second Russian Civil War occurred, Nikolai assisted Price by joining the Ultranationalists as a spy despite his keen opposition to their ideology.
Second Russian Civil War[]
Spy activities[]
In August 2011, Nikolai learned of an Estonian freighter known as the Väljakutse that was carrying nuclear material for use by the Ultranationalists. He informed now-Captain Price of this, who conducted Operation Crew Expendable on 1 September 2011 and confirmed this. Soon after, Nikolai was found out to be a spy by the Ultranationalists and imprisoned in a mountain town in the Caucasus, being tortured for his actions.
On 2 September 2011, Bravo Team was sent to the Caucasus Mountains to rescue Nikolai. They met with Loyalist commander Sergeant Mikhail Kamarov. Despite their goals differing, Kamarov paid back the favor from Beirut and helped Price with finding Nikolai at a power station after securing a nearby town. Though they exfiltrated, their helicopter was shot down by a SAM missile over Western Russia.
The survivors quickly gathered themselves and called for another extraction, with the aid of an American AC-130H Spectre gunship. They made it to the extraction point after intense firefighting in villages and a junkyard, being extracted by a second helicopter. Nikolai then stayed for a time at a safehouse in Hamburg, informing the team of the location of Khaled al-Asad's Azerbaijani safehouse in Amsar after the nuclear detonation in Basra on 3 September. Al-Asad was eventually tortured and seemingly killed by Price after confirming al-Asad's relationship with Ultranationalist leader Imran Zakhaev.
Further activity[]
Nikolai continued fighting for the Loyalists until their eventual defeat, resulting in the Ultranationalist Party taking power over the Russian Federation. Despite this, Nikolai still occasionally assisted Price and members of NATO Task Force 141 as reparation for the rescue. He still kept in contact with the Loyalist remnants, particularly a few at a safehouse in Himachal Pradesh, India.
World War III[]
Brazil extraction[]
A day after the Zakhaev International Airport massacre, on 13 August 2016, Nikolai was contacted by Price's protégé Captain John "Soap" MacTavish as their contacts in the United States were cut off thanks to the Russian invasion of the United States. Nikolai agreed to the extraction from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, successfully doing so even with low fuel and having to shift their evac site in order to prevent his Pave Low's destruction by Brazilian Militia.
Afghanistan extraction[]
Just two days later on 15 August, Nikolai was again contacted by Price and Soap, needing an extraction from an Afghanistan aircraft boneyard during a three-way firefight between Task Force 141, General Herschel Shepherd's PMC Shadow Company, and Vladimir Makarov's Inner Circle terrorists. Nikolai utilized a C-130 Hercules for the extraction, with Soap and Price narrowly making it onto the aircraft by way of a commandeered UAZ-3151. He then dropped them off a few miles from Site Hotel Bravo, with orders from Price to not come back for them.
Despite Price's order, Nikolai rescued the two outside an Afghan oil yard a few minutes after Shepherd was killed by Soap, extracting Price and the injured Soap by Little Bird.