Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zadornov

Ramón Gálvez Mena, born Vladimir Alexandrovich Zadornov, is a character who appears in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Galvez also has an artificial right hand.

Early Life and Career
At some point in his life, Vladimir Zadornov became a KGB operative and was a heavy smoker. He also had lost his right hand, implied to be at a mission. After completing that mission, he was awarded both a medal from the Security-General of the Soviet Union, and an advanced prosthetic hand with the ability to produce a flame, most likely so he could light cigars. However, he decided to quit smoking after it ruined his lungs, so he barely had a use for it. He then departed for Costa Rica on a mission for the KGB to conquer Costa Rica so that the Cold War would end with the Soviets winning. He also decided to join the yet-to-be-sanctioned University for Peace, as well as gave himself an alias: Professor Ramon Galvez Mena, presumably to give him a cover for his activities.

Operation Peace Walker
Main Article

He arrived in Colombia along with one of his students, Paz Ortega Andrade, to meet with the Militaires Sans Frontieres. He explained to them that a mysterious force had arrived in Costa Rica and was engaging in suspicious activities. When Big Boss asked if they were rebels who've fled from Nicaragua, he stated that they weren't as the force was far too organized to be a guerilla group. He explained that the force claimed that they were an international security assessing company hired by the Costa Rican government, but he stated that they couldn't be that, as they were shipping in tons of the latest equipment by the shipload. He feared that the CIA (or "la cia" as he called them) was responsible.

He asked the Militaires Sans Frontieres to help remove the invasion force from Costa Rica, offering them an offshore production facility in the carribean sea as a forwarding base in exchange for their help (as well as a chopper for transport). While Kaz seemed willing to go with the offer, Big Boss was reluctant to participate, as he didn't want his unit to become a pack of "Dogs of War". He tells Galvez that force is most likely not going to do any good, so he might need to do a diplomatic solution, even suggesting to him that he tell the Costa Rican government that he can offer a negotiator that he knew to help them settle the dispute. Galvez reveals that he never came on the Government's orders, and then explans Paz's history, as well as her capture by the same force after she stumbled upon their supply port. He eventually gets Big Boss to agree to partake in the mission by stating that he knew Big Boss's true identity.

After some discussion with Kaz, Big Boss and Kaz then realize that Gálvez was actually an agent of the KGB, and that allying with him would actually result in their making enemies with America. Big Boss saw through his cover job (he later reveals that he deduced he was KGB because a Professor of Peace would not wear a prosthetic red hand that's fit for an assassin). When talking it over, he explained that the Russians want Costa Rica, because Costa Rica was of strategic value and can be used to conquer Central America, and thus split America into two. It would also disrupt all economic productions and shipping lanes towards America. For the Soviets, it would mean gaining a base from which all of Latin America would be in their grasps, starting with Nicaragua.

However, his reason for hiring Big Boss and the MSF was not to aid them in taking out the CIA's stronghold in Costa Rica. In fact, it's because the CIA is planning something else in Costa Rica other than disrupting the Soviet's efforts in getting the FSLN to rebel and transform Nicaragua into a socialist state, and he wanted Big Boss and the MSF to investigate the facility that Paz was imprisoned in. He also explained that her being captured at least was true, and he, until tonight, had hid any and all affiliation with the KGB from her.

He showed them a casette tape for the Sony Walkman that her friend, who was also captured during their escape from the facility, had recorded accidentally while birdwatching. It turns out that the tape featured The Boss's voice. He considered burning the tape if Snake wasn't going to accept the mission, but Snake decided to do it after the shock of hearing The Boss's voice. Galvez then spent the remainder of the mission secretly watching Big Boss and his unit's progression.

In actuality, he was allied with Coldman, the leader of the Peace Sentinels, or at least, it seemed like it. In actuality, he feigned cooperation so that when Coldman would try to input false data to make the only launch for Peace Walker, he would covertly seize the American Missile Base in Nicaragua. Just as he had planned, Coldman would input the false data placing the Mother Base at a retalitory launch trajectory, and turned on Coldman. He then decided to use Peace Walker to launch a strike against Cuba, since the international committee will think that an American Missile base developed in Nicaragua under a pro-American government launched at Cuba, one of the Soviet Union's biggest allies, would cause anti-American sentiment to spread globally, thus allowing the Soviets to win the Cold War.

He then tried to have Paz kill Coldman, referring to what he did to her on the base near the coast. However, despite her anger towards him for what he did, she simply could not commit the murder. Instead, he shot Coldman, although he deliberately missed so that he could acquire the access code from him, as he can't input the launch code if Coldman died. Galvez then contacted Strangelove telling her to change the false data targeting system to Cuba, and threatened that he'll kill her as well as her "beloved" if she doesn't comply. He then explains to Big Boss the true reason why he hired the Militaires Sans Frontieres: he planned to manipulate Big Boss to do all the work in helping the FSLN in their revolution so Coldman will end up launching Peace Walker, allowing him easy access to it without dirtying his hands as an intelligence officer. He then planned to kill Big Boss as his usefulness has come to an end, remarking that, like The Boss before him, he is nothing more than a fraud.

However, in terms of an ironic twist of fate, the FSLN group belonging to Amanda Valenciano Libre ended up overtaking their former KGB allies and saving Big Boss. He ended up being placed under arrest by the MSF. However, when Coldman decided to try and activate Peace Walker in his dying breaths, he was extremely horrified at the result.

After being placed in a cell onboard Mother Base, he managed to escape six times due to Paz's help. On the seventh escape attempt, Vladimir waited at the shooting gallery for Big Boss. Big Boss then went up to the second floor, and Vladimir then attempted to gun Big Boss down, forcing Big Boss to shoot him out of self-defense. Vladimir then attempted a last ditch effort to kill Big Boss by launching his prosthetic arm (now posed in a Peace/V for Victory sign) at Big Boss, only for it to bounce against the railing. He then died, although not before cryptically remarking that his "job here is done". Big Boss later retrieved Vladimir's prosthetic hand and used it as a cigar lighter.

Trivia

 * Galvez's favorite kind of coffee was Costa Rican Coffee.
 * Galvez's real first name, Vladimir, is Russian for "Ruler of Peace".
 * Galvez has a mechanical right hand like Doctor No in the James Bond film Dr. No.

Behind the Scenes

 * Galvez's English voice actor (Steven Blum) is the voice actor that voiced Gene in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Coincidentally, his partner, Paz Ortega Andrade, is voiced by Tara Strong, who voiced Elisa and Ursula who were also accomplices to Gene (either completely or initially, depending on the persona).