Makarov's Network

Lore & Background

Makarov's resurgence begins when the Konni Group raids Zordaya Prison Complex in Verdansk, Kastovia, on November 2023. Having been captured by Task Force 141 during a 2019 terrorist attack at the Verdansk Stadium, Makarov is freed to resume his plan for global chaos. The network immediately strikes an Urzikstan port, attempting to steal ballistic missiles from Shadow Company before they can be secured by the Urzikstan Liberation Force (ULF). When Konni forces fail to secure the missiles entirely, Makarov adapts by destroying a Kastovian airliner with a vest bomb forced onto a former ULF fighter. He further refines chemical weapons hidden in an abandoned nuclear power plant left behind by General Roman Barkov, detonating gas to thwart Task Force 141's intervention near Price. Makarov's strategy involves manipulating geopolitical tensions; he captures General Herschel Shepherd from a Siberian convoy, using him as leverage to force Shepherd to reveal plans for destroying the Gora Dam in Verdansk. When his agents attempt to control the UK train network via a stolen flash drive, Makarov targets the Channel Tunnel with a dirty bomb. His actions are designed to force superpowers into conflict while he remains elusive, only confronting Task Force 141 directly when necessary. In London, after ambushing Price and Soap in the tunnel, Makarov executes Soap by shooting him in the head before escaping with Ghost and Kyle Garrick arriving too late to prevent it.

In Their Own Story

The year is 2023, and the Zordaya Prison Complex in Verdansk falls under assault by the Konni Group. Inside, they locate Vladimir Makarov, the ultranationalist terrorist previously imprisoned by John Price and Soap MacTavish after the 2019 Verdansk Stadium attack. Hours later, Konni assaults a port in Urzikstan, stealing ballistic missiles from Shadow Company despite Farah Karim placing trackers on them. To escalate tensions, Makarov detonates a vest bomb on a Kastovian airliner, killing passengers and framing potential ULF involvement before Price and 141 intervene. Task Force 141 tracks the network to an abandoned nuclear power plant where Makarov plans to refine chemical materials hidden by General Barkov. Konni escapes with the material, detonating gas that nearly kills Price. Laswell infiltrates Arklov Military Base in Verdansk to retrieve a flash drive detailing these weapons but leaves just as missiles strike. Makarov's next move targets the Gora Dam; he captures General Shepherd from a Siberian convoy, forcing him to reveal the plan before 141 intercepts the threat. In London, Makarov secures control of the UK train network via a stolen flash drive and plants a dirty bomb in the Channel Tunnel. Price leads an assault with counter-terrorism units, locating the bomb with Soap. Ambushed by Makarov, Price is nearly executed until Soap intervenes, only to be shot in the head by Makarov before escaping. Ghost and Kyle arrive too late to save Soap. Following his death, Price, Ghost, and Garrick scatter Soap's ashes off a cliff in Scotland. In a mid-credits scene, Price infiltrates Shepherd's office and assassinates him.

Reader's Guide

Makarov operates through the Konni Group, a private military contractor that functions as his primary operational arm in the rebooted timeline. Key targets include the Zordaya Prison Complex for liberation, Urzikstan ports for missile theft, and critical infrastructure like the Gora Dam and Channel Tunnel. His tactics involve using human shields (the airliner passenger), chemical warfare (Barkov's materials), and hostage situations (General Shepherd) to force Task Force 141 into reactive positions. To counter Makarov, players must follow Task Force 141's pursuit across multiple locations: Verdansk for the prison raid and Arklov Base, Siberia for the Shepherd rescue, and London for the Channel Tunnel defense. The network relies on flash drives to control infrastructure and uses Konni operatives like Andrei Nolan as logistical nodes. Players can track Makarov by intercepting his financiers, such as Milena Romanova in Saint Petersburg, or by securing intel from captured assets. The ultimate goal is preventing the destruction of the Gora Dam and stopping the dirty bomb plot before it triggers World War III.

Did You Know?

• Vladimir Makarov was freed from the Zordaya Prison Complex in November 2023 after being imprisoned by SAS operatives following a 2019 attack at Verdansk Stadium.
• Makarov used a vest bomb forced onto a former ULF fighter to destroy a Kastovian airliner, attempting to frame the Urzikstan Liberation Force for the attack.
• In London, Makarov shot Soap MacTavish in the head during an ambush at the Channel Tunnel before escaping with the dirty bomb intact.
• Makarov captured General Herschel Shepherd from a convoy crossing Siberia and forced him to reveal plans to destroy the Gora Dam in Verdansk.
• A mid-credits scene shows John Price infiltrating General Shepherd's office and assassinating him after the London attack.