Nikolai previously served as a soldier in the Soviet Army. His connection with the West began when he was assigned to guard the Soviet embassy in Copenhagen. While there, he expressed his discontent with the USSR’s foreign policy and was subsequently recruited by MI6 as an informant. Later, he was accused of being an informant for the ultranationalists, but these charges were never proven. After leaving the army, he became a “fixer” with valuable connections at the highest levels, both in official circles and the criminal underworld.