Vlad was the co-director of the Miscellaneous Intelligence Division (MID) under the Russian Intelligence Agency (RIA). He had one son, Alexy (better known as Sasha) who was also a part of the MID as a child spy. Sasha was killed on the last mission Mikhail was on, along with YoYo.
Vlad was close friends with Mikhail's father, Anton. However, while Anton was poor and an orphan, Vlad was the oldest child in an upper-middle-class family. Although he never completely expressed his true sentiments to his friend, he always felt somewhat superior. This feeling took a nose-dive after Anton won Champion Title in his boxing category.
Vlad is also the reason Mikhail has powers. Initially wanting the serum to go to Sasha, he settled with Mikhail on the pretense that Anton and his then girlfriend, Jeannette, agreed to put Mikhail up for adoption. However, Jeannette, and then Anton, refused, and the friendship between Vlad and Anton grew strained and the two did not speak with each other until after Jeannette and Mikhail left Anton due to the latter's drinking problem.
Depressed, Anton sought out Vlad. The two went out drinking, and Vlad kept a letter for Jeannette that Anton showed and then later forgot. Vlad mailed the letter and went out to Paris in hopes of retrieving Mikhail. He proved successful in separating the mother and son, but Mikhail boarded the wrong train (to St. Petersburg, instead of Moscow).
After a couple of years, Vlad finally found Mikhail and brought him to the MID. As co-director, he was kind to all the children and made sure to provide for them. Mikhail in particular he treated as a second son. However, after the death of Sasha and eventually his wife, Vlad sought revenge. While his revenge was physically targeted at Mikhail, most, if not all, of his harsh sentiments were emotionally directed at Anton due to a competitiveness and superiority complex that was never resolved.
Vlad was shot to death by Dr. Ziles during an escape staged by Mikhail and April. He is survived by his younger brother, Dimitri.