Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zadornov

Ramón Gálvez Mena was a University for Peace professor. In actuality, he was Vladimir Alexandrovich Zadornov, a KGB agent and a Cipher agent during the Peace Walker Incident.

Early life and career
At some point in his life, Vladimir Zadornov was a KGB operative who (likely during a mission) had lost his right hand. Afterwards, Zadornov 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 so he could light cigars and/or cigarettes. However, he had to quit smoking after it ruined his lungs, so he barely had a use for it. Sometime later, he departed for Costa Rica on a KGB mission to conquer Costa Rica so that the Cold War would end with the Soviets winning, yet was somehow recruited (along with Pacifica Ocean) as a Cipher agent. With either the KGB's or Cipher's resources, Zadornov was given the alias of "Professor Ramon Galvez Mena" of the yet-to-be-sanctioned University for Peace who had teaching about peace since 1964 as a cover for his activities.

In 1974, "Ramon Galvez Mena" 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 security company had arrived in Costa Rica and was engaging in suspicious activities. When Big Boss (Naked Snake) 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.

Galvez 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 Kazuhira Miller seemed willing to go with the offer, Snake was reluctant to participate, as he didn't want his unit to become a pack of "Dogs of War" and 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 Snake to agree to partake in the mission by stating that he knew Snake's true identity as Big Boss.

After some discussion, Big Boss and Miller then realize that Gálvez was actually a KGB agent, and that allying with him would actually result in their making enemies with America. Big Boss saw through his cover job (Big Boss later reveals that he deduced Galvez 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 Big Boss wasn't going to accept the mission, but Big Boss 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 Hot Coldman (the leader of the Peace Sentinels) by providing the money and technology (via Cipher) while Coldman provided the land. 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. However, he turned after Coldman was about input the false data placing the Mother Base at a retalitory launch trajectory and 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 with his gun, 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 shooting him in the head 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, Vladimir Zadornov managed to escape seven times due to Paz's help. On the seventh escape attempt, Zadornov waited at the shooting gallery for Big Boss. Big Boss then went up to the second floor, and Zadornov then attempted to gun Big Boss down, forcing Big Boss to shoot him out of self-defense. Zadornov 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 Zadornov's prosthetic hand and used it as a cigar lighter.

Trivia

 * Galvez's favorite kind of coffee was Costa Rican Coffee.
 * Galvez is second (after Ocelot in 1964) to refer to Big Boss as "John" (Big Boss's real name). Ironically, both Galvez (Zadornov) and Ocelot worked with the KGB and are of Russian descent.
 * Vladimir (Galvez's first real name) is Russian for "Ruler of Peace".
 * Zadornov's suit and trench coat mirrors Big Boss's outfit in his later years (1995, 1999, and 2014).
 * Zadornov mirrors two characters in the James Bond film Dr. No:
 * His mechanical right hand mirrors Doctor Julius No's mechanical hands.
 * His "Professor Galvez" persona mirrors Professor R. J. Dent.

Behind the scenes

 * Galvez's English voice actor (Steven Blum) is the voice actor that voiced Gene in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Coincidentally, Paz Ortega Andrade (his partner) is voiced by Tara Strong, who also voiced an accomplice to Gene.