Name: Vitalii Tkachenko
Callsign: Kennedy. Given to him during his conscription days, in reference to his boyish looks and his visit to Boston as a child as part of a goodwill trip.
Age: 50, April 22, 1964.
Gender: Male
Nationality: Ukranian SSR
Role in Team: Executive Officer. Tkachenko is responsible for the management of Daytrip's day-to-day operations and is the primary team leader, as well as the go-between for Daytrip operatives, local resistance, and the high command.
Appearance:
While time has started to wear on Vitalii, he's nowhere near slowing down. Standing at 6'3 with broad shoulders and a powerful boxer's build, Kennedy presents as a force to be reckoned with. While no longer bound to military grooming requirements he sticks to them out of habit, staying clean-shaven and keeping his graying hair in a neatly trimmed and combed into a side-part. His civilian wear stays towards the profesional, dressing in slacks and button-ups when not in the field.
Bio: Vitalii was born in Dnipro, Ukraine SSR to an entirely unremarkable family. His parents were neither dissidents nor devoted to the state; his father worked diligently but without enthusiasm in a metallurgical plant, and his mother kept busy by caring for her father, an ailing veteran of the Great Patriotic War. His older brother was enrolled in a technical school to become a train engineer, a respectable but not noteworthy career.
It seemed likely that Vitalii would follow in their footsteps; he played sports but not well enough to be a professional, and his grades were satisfactory, not outstanding. The only notable incident was when he was selected to visit the United States with other students based on an essay he wrote about world peace.
Upon reaching 18 he was conscripted, as was typical for men his age without university deferments, and after basic training he was sent to Afghanistan, seeing action along the border of Pakistan at the Kyber Pass. It was there that he found purpose. He was a natural soldier who felt at home on the battlefield, describing the sensation of being shot at as 'clarifying'.
At the end of his tour he considered signing up again but instead sought a more elite path. He was invited to try out for the recently formed Directorate V of the KGB (commonly known as "Vympel") and passed the extremely rigorous selection process. After advanced training, he was sent back to Afghanistan, this time to support the Afghan Commando Forces in operations against the Mujahideen. He took part in search-and-destroy operations targeting insurgent weapon caches, destroying multiple ammunition dumps and capturing examples of American Stinger and British Blowpipe anti-air missiles. Eventually the situation stabilized for the Republic of Afghanistan and Vitalii (now known as Kennedy) was deployed to Angola.
His role on paper was to provide training to and serve as a planning advisor for the MPLA, which he did legitimately do. However, he was primarily focused on counterintelligence activities. Vympel was responsible for eliminating South African National Intelligence Service agents and likely encountered CIA operatives as well. UNITA, hemorrhaging manpower and material, put a bounty on the team equaling 50,000 dollars per member.
With the Communists now solidly winning the war he was again moved elsewhere, this time to Iraq. With tension between NATO and the Soviet-backed Hussein regime brewing it was deemed prudent to have forces on the ground shoring up defenses. Now a veteran with experience in supporting local forces, Kennedy was tasked with preparing for a guerrilla war. He organized members of the Fedayeen Saddam and Iraqi Popular Army, paramilitary forces lacking heavy armor and artillery, into insurgent cells that would be activated upon invasion. Part of their role would be securing temporary landing sites for the deployment of Spetznaz personnel.
Unsurprisingly, he was extremely busy during the Gulf War. He was given command of both Soviet and Iraqi special forces and ordered to harass the Coalition's operations by whatever means available. Kennedy did this by assembling a flying column made up of operators from the Republican Guard, Soviet Airborne, and various Spetznaz groups and engaging in hit-and-run attacks behind enemy lines. They targeted Coalition supply lines and HVTs, killing or capturing multiple American, French and British officers. He and his team intercepted or otherwise came into contact with enemy SOF multiple times, engaging British SAS and SBS as well as American Navy SEALs. In one notable incident, Kennedy and a small detachment put up a spirited defense against Coalition armor and air cavalry to buy time for Iraqi forces to catch up. He and his squad were forced to surrender upon running out of ammo, but their actions allowed the rest of the unit to escape with prisoners in tow. This earned him the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
He was held captive for about a month before the war ended. The rest of the 90s were comparatively quiet, with Kennedy working in Colombia and Turkey to support Marxist insurgents before being recalled back to the USSR to train the next generation of Vympel. He retired after twenty years of outstanding service and took up recreational diving.
The Heavenfall shattered all hopes for a peaceful life. The Soviet Union ceased to exist, and with it the bank account full of savings and the pension fund paying out monthly checks. Kennedy was initially approached by the nascent independent government of Ukraine and offered a job as chief security advisor. He took it, only to walk out within months. He was still loyal to the Socialist Republics, and thus could not work for a nation trying to distance itself from them.
He ended up moving to Mexico to work in private security, motivated in part by the beautiful water and the new wrecks scattered across the Gulf; a diver's paradise. He found employment training both remnant government forces and working as a mercenary for private militias and corporate entities, battling the now-much stronger cartels. It was during this period that he reconnected with Noah Agnew, whom he had met while in captivity and came across through their shared sport of diving, and Arsala Khattak, a Texas Ranger who often worked with law enforcement elements on the southern side of the border. His working with the American military and law enforcement is what led to him becoming known outside of the former Warsaw Pact, and thus he was recruited to be the Executive Officer of Operation Daytrip.
Analysis: Vitalii is inarguably elite, a veteran of open field, combined arms warfare and small-scale covert operations. Having spent twenty years in the KGB he understands discretion and can be trusted to lead sensitive missions such as Daytrip. He's used to leading teams of special forces and local allies, meaning he can work with troops from the Autodefensas and the BPLF. Equally importantly, he's a known mercenary. Vitalii has no particular loyalty to any one country or ideology still existent, making him an attractive figure to both the left and right wings of Daytrip's local contingent as he's unlikely to show any favoritism. Furthermore, his leading Daytrip lends credibility to any disavowal made by the N/UN in case the operation is compromised: he's a gun-for-hire brought in to lead other guns-for-hire.
Service History:
Primary Weapons:
AS Val
-9x39mm
-Integral Suppressor
-Modernized with Picatiny rail
-Trijicon ACOG sight
-Takes standard 20 round magazines as well as newer 30 round magazines
KS-23M:
-23×75mmR
-Variant of the original KS-23 with shortened barrel and removable wire stock
-Drilled and tapped to accept Trijicon RMR red dot sight
-3+1 tube magazine
FAMAE SAF-200:
-9×19mm Parabellum
-Aimpoint Micro T-1 red dot
-30 round magazine
Sidearm:
Inglis L9A1
-9×19mm Parabellum
-13 round magazine
Ammunition:
Other Equipment:
Family And Notable Acquaintance:
Miscellanous Details:
Callsign: Kennedy. Given to him during his conscription days, in reference to his boyish looks and his visit to Boston as a child as part of a goodwill trip.
Age: 50, April 22, 1964.
Gender: Male
Nationality: Ukranian SSR
Role in Team: Executive Officer. Tkachenko is responsible for the management of Daytrip's day-to-day operations and is the primary team leader, as well as the go-between for Daytrip operatives, local resistance, and the high command.
Appearance:
While time has started to wear on Vitalii, he's nowhere near slowing down. Standing at 6'3 with broad shoulders and a powerful boxer's build, Kennedy presents as a force to be reckoned with. While no longer bound to military grooming requirements he sticks to them out of habit, staying clean-shaven and keeping his graying hair in a neatly trimmed and combed into a side-part. His civilian wear stays towards the profesional, dressing in slacks and button-ups when not in the field.
Bio: Vitalii was born in Dnipro, Ukraine SSR to an entirely unremarkable family. His parents were neither dissidents nor devoted to the state; his father worked diligently but without enthusiasm in a metallurgical plant, and his mother kept busy by caring for her father, an ailing veteran of the Great Patriotic War. His older brother was enrolled in a technical school to become a train engineer, a respectable but not noteworthy career.
It seemed likely that Vitalii would follow in their footsteps; he played sports but not well enough to be a professional, and his grades were satisfactory, not outstanding. The only notable incident was when he was selected to visit the United States with other students based on an essay he wrote about world peace.
Upon reaching 18 he was conscripted, as was typical for men his age without university deferments, and after basic training he was sent to Afghanistan, seeing action along the border of Pakistan at the Kyber Pass. It was there that he found purpose. He was a natural soldier who felt at home on the battlefield, describing the sensation of being shot at as 'clarifying'.
At the end of his tour he considered signing up again but instead sought a more elite path. He was invited to try out for the recently formed Directorate V of the KGB (commonly known as "Vympel") and passed the extremely rigorous selection process. After advanced training, he was sent back to Afghanistan, this time to support the Afghan Commando Forces in operations against the Mujahideen. He took part in search-and-destroy operations targeting insurgent weapon caches, destroying multiple ammunition dumps and capturing examples of American Stinger and British Blowpipe anti-air missiles. Eventually the situation stabilized for the Republic of Afghanistan and Vitalii (now known as Kennedy) was deployed to Angola.
His role on paper was to provide training to and serve as a planning advisor for the MPLA, which he did legitimately do. However, he was primarily focused on counterintelligence activities. Vympel was responsible for eliminating South African National Intelligence Service agents and likely encountered CIA operatives as well. UNITA, hemorrhaging manpower and material, put a bounty on the team equaling 50,000 dollars per member.
With the Communists now solidly winning the war he was again moved elsewhere, this time to Iraq. With tension between NATO and the Soviet-backed Hussein regime brewing it was deemed prudent to have forces on the ground shoring up defenses. Now a veteran with experience in supporting local forces, Kennedy was tasked with preparing for a guerrilla war. He organized members of the Fedayeen Saddam and Iraqi Popular Army, paramilitary forces lacking heavy armor and artillery, into insurgent cells that would be activated upon invasion. Part of their role would be securing temporary landing sites for the deployment of Spetznaz personnel.
Unsurprisingly, he was extremely busy during the Gulf War. He was given command of both Soviet and Iraqi special forces and ordered to harass the Coalition's operations by whatever means available. Kennedy did this by assembling a flying column made up of operators from the Republican Guard, Soviet Airborne, and various Spetznaz groups and engaging in hit-and-run attacks behind enemy lines. They targeted Coalition supply lines and HVTs, killing or capturing multiple American, French and British officers. He and his team intercepted or otherwise came into contact with enemy SOF multiple times, engaging British SAS and SBS as well as American Navy SEALs. In one notable incident, Kennedy and a small detachment put up a spirited defense against Coalition armor and air cavalry to buy time for Iraqi forces to catch up. He and his squad were forced to surrender upon running out of ammo, but their actions allowed the rest of the unit to escape with prisoners in tow. This earned him the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
He was held captive for about a month before the war ended. The rest of the 90s were comparatively quiet, with Kennedy working in Colombia and Turkey to support Marxist insurgents before being recalled back to the USSR to train the next generation of Vympel. He retired after twenty years of outstanding service and took up recreational diving.
The Heavenfall shattered all hopes for a peaceful life. The Soviet Union ceased to exist, and with it the bank account full of savings and the pension fund paying out monthly checks. Kennedy was initially approached by the nascent independent government of Ukraine and offered a job as chief security advisor. He took it, only to walk out within months. He was still loyal to the Socialist Republics, and thus could not work for a nation trying to distance itself from them.
He ended up moving to Mexico to work in private security, motivated in part by the beautiful water and the new wrecks scattered across the Gulf; a diver's paradise. He found employment training both remnant government forces and working as a mercenary for private militias and corporate entities, battling the now-much stronger cartels. It was during this period that he reconnected with Noah Agnew, whom he had met while in captivity and came across through their shared sport of diving, and Arsala Khattak, a Texas Ranger who often worked with law enforcement elements on the southern side of the border. His working with the American military and law enforcement is what led to him becoming known outside of the former Warsaw Pact, and thus he was recruited to be the Executive Officer of Operation Daytrip.
Analysis: Vitalii is inarguably elite, a veteran of open field, combined arms warfare and small-scale covert operations. Having spent twenty years in the KGB he understands discretion and can be trusted to lead sensitive missions such as Daytrip. He's used to leading teams of special forces and local allies, meaning he can work with troops from the Autodefensas and the BPLF. Equally importantly, he's a known mercenary. Vitalii has no particular loyalty to any one country or ideology still existent, making him an attractive figure to both the left and right wings of Daytrip's local contingent as he's unlikely to show any favoritism. Furthermore, his leading Daytrip lends credibility to any disavowal made by the N/UN in case the operation is compromised: he's a gun-for-hire brought in to lead other guns-for-hire.
Service History:
- Joined the Soviet Army at 18: 1982
- Served a tour of duty in Afghanistan: 1982-1984
- Left the Army to join the KGB's Directorate Vympel, underwent advanced training before being redeployed to Afghanistan to support the Afghan Commando Forces in operations against the Mujahideen: 1984-1987
- Sent to Angola ostensibly to provide training to the MPLA but was primarily involved in counterintelligence operations against NATO and South African agents: 1987-1990
- Deployed to Iraq in response to worsening tensions, training Iraqi forces and preparing the groundwork for a full-scale deployment of Vympel and other Spetznaz groups: 1990-1991
- Was highly active during the Gulf War, leading Soviet and Iraqi special forces against Coalition personnel. Commanding an ad hoc team composed of troops from the Soviet Airborne Forces, Republican Guard, and various Spetznaz detachments, Tkachenko worked behind enemy lines targeting American, British, and French HVTs. His team assassinated a number of Coalition officers and intercepted multiple SOF operations, seeing combat against the British SAS and SBS as well as the American Navy SEALs. In a notable incident, Kennedy and a few of his men mounted a fierce static defense against Coalition armor and air cavalry, scoring multiple tank kills and buying time for an Iraqi battalion to reach his force. Tkachenko and his squad were eventually surrounded and forced to surrender upon running out of ammo, but the rest of the force managed to escape with high-value prisoners in tow. He was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky in absentia: 1991
- Released from captivity shortly after the end of the war and deployed to Colombia to assist FARC by providing training and taking part in direct action against drug traffickers and right-wing militias: 1991-1994
- Covertly inserted into Turkey to assist the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front. Kennedy supplied the group with plastic explosives and directed them in the assassination of Turkish government figures and foreign business executives: 1994-1996
- Recalled to the Soviet Union to serve as a training instructor for new recruits to Vympel, promoted to the rank Senior Ensign (roughly equivalent to a Warrant Officer in NATO forces): 1996-2002
- Retired at 38 after twenty years of service: 2002
- The Heavenfall occured ; the Soviet Union is dissolved. Now, without a pension (or any sort of savings) Tkachenko was recruited by the fractured Ukrainian government to cobble together a special operations command. A Soviet loyalist through-and-through, he quickly resigned and emigrated to North America. Found work in Mexico in private security, training remnant government forces and various militias to fight the surging narcos. Worked with elements of the U.S. military and law enforcement in that capacity, leading to his being known to Operation Daytrip: 2003-2014
Primary Weapons:
AS Val
-9x39mm
-Integral Suppressor
-Modernized with Picatiny rail
-Trijicon ACOG sight
-Takes standard 20 round magazines as well as newer 30 round magazines
KS-23M:
-23×75mmR
-Variant of the original KS-23 with shortened barrel and removable wire stock
-Drilled and tapped to accept Trijicon RMR red dot sight
-3+1 tube magazine
FAMAE SAF-200:
-9×19mm Parabellum
-Aimpoint Micro T-1 red dot
-30 round magazine
Sidearm:
Inglis L9A1
-9×19mm Parabellum
-13 round magazine
Ammunition:
- 23mm, Shrapnel-25 buckshot shell with aproximate range of 25 meters
- 23mm, Barrikada slug
- 23mm, Zvezda flashbang round
- 9×39mm, SP-6 armor piercing
- 9x19mm, hollow point
Other Equipment:
- 6B45 vest with GRANIT plates, in EMR camouflage.
- ALICE load-carrying equipment with Chinese Type 85 chest rig
- FAST Helmet with L-3 GPNVG-18 night vision and IR strobe
- General Service Respirator
- Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset and Personal Role Radio
- Suunto Core watch
- Rugged military tablet
- L3A1 Bayonet
- Two RGO fragmentation grenades
- Two RG-60TB thermobaric grenades
- IFAK
- LShZ-2DTM helmet
- Gerber multitool
- Lensatic compass
- Hydration pouch
Family And Notable Acquaintance:
- Alexei and Mariya Tkachenko, father and mother, both deceased.
- Dmitry Tkachenko, brother.
- Noah Agnew: Longtime friend and comrade
Miscellanous Details:
- Vitalii is fluent in English and Spanish, and speaks passable French.
- Taught himself to be ambidextrous.
