Vladimir Bierko
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Vladimir Iosifovitch Bierko is a fictional character from the fifth season of the television series 24. He is played by British actor Julian Sands.
Bierko is a billionaire businessman who amassed a fortune in oil holdings and weapons sales, gaining him a reputation as one of Russia's richest men. He finances the Dawn Brigade Movement, a group of terrorists from an unnamed Russian province in Central Asia, most likely Chechnya. Their homeland has been occupied by Russia for over 200 years, but Bierko and his followers wish to be free of Russian rule. The FSB initially thought him to be merely a sympathizer for the separatists, but when he went underground three months prior to Day 5, they began to suspect that he was a terrorist himself.
During this time Bierko came into contact with an ex-CIA agent named James Nathanson, who arranged for his followers to obtain military-grade Sentox nerve gas from Omicron, a leading defense department contractor. Bierko had planned to use the gas for an attack on Moscow, but Nathanson had intended for the canisters to blow up while in terrorist possession in a plot to justify and develop an American interest in Bierko's homeland and its oil fields. Bierko eventually found out about the doublecross and reprogrammed the failsafes for the gas canisters as well as ordering Nathanson's elimination, but by this time CTU was looking for the canisters, making it difficult to smuggle them out of North America. This prompted Bierko to adopt a second plan, where he would ambush the motorcade of Russian President Suvarov, who was visiting Los Angeles. He calls President Logan, demanding that he give up Suvarov's motorcade route, in exchange for no American deaths. When the attack is foiled, due to the quick thinking of CTU, Bierko told Logan their deal was off, and he would now commence attacks on American targets.
After a diversionary attack on Tyler Memorial Hospital, Bierko successfully deployed one of the canisters at CTU-Los Angeles, killing 40% of its staff. Bierko then focused his energy on releasing the all but one of the remaining canisters at a natural gas distribution center, which would have the potential to kill approximately 200,000 people. A CTU team led by Jack Bauer eventually tracked Bierko down to the distribution center, and blew up the facility to destroy the gas. Bierko sought to escape in a stolen police car. Bauer saw him trying to escape and, seeing him as the only lead to the real mastermind behind Nathanson, attempted to give chase. The two get into the car, but as the plant explodes, the vehicle is pelted with debris. Both men survived, but Bierko was knocked unconscious. Bierko's attack ultimately failed, since the gas was incinerated. Jack had Bierko brought to CTU, so he could be questioned regarding his connection to Christopher Henderson. He regained consciousness three hours after capture.
Around 3:30am, Karen Hayes authorizes Bierko's transfer to a holding center where it is assumed he'll be incarcerated until a complete interrogation can occur. As she leaves him, he spits at her and is led away. As he gets into the transport vehicle, he sees the driver's face, and nods to him, alluding that the driver is one of his men. Bierko is freed when his remaining henchman ambush the transfer convoy. They then proceed to use the last Sentox canister to take over a Russian submarine. Bierko intended to use the submarine's payload of Scorpion ballistic missiles on American targets. However, Bauer infiltrated the sub before Bierko could launch the missiles. An extremely intense and very brutal fight in the bowels of the submarine ensues, in which Bierko and his henchman engages Bauer. Bauer grabs the henchman's firearm by surprise and, without even disarming him, shoots Bierko in the arm, stunning him and dropping him temporarily to the floor. Bauer stuggles with the henchman for control of the pistol. He overpowers the henchman and attmepts to quickly shoot him; however, in the panic of the fight and the lack of aim, Bauer shoots a hot steam pipe open. In the confusion it causes, Bauer then grabs the henchman by the head and begins to burn his face in the boiling hot steam. While this struggle ensued, Bierko recovered enough to grasp a monkey wrench and strike Bauer multiple times. Having subdued the henchman, he blocks one of Bierko's strikes and pushes him backwards violently. Bauer then jumps and grabs ahold of a ceiling fixture; he swings from it and entraps Bierko's neck in-between his legs. Bierko looks at Bauer helplessly, now finally being out of options for retaliation. Jack then breaks Bierko's neck with his legs and kills him.
Trivia
- In an interview with TV Guide [link], Sands says that his portrayal was partially influenced by early Bond villains, referencing Ernst Stavro Blofeld in particular. However, the takeover of the submarine is very similar to the climax of The World is Not Enough.
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