Due to his exceptional field performance, he was transferred to Spetsnaz shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also apprenticed as a precision tool and die machinist in the weapons division. Along with subject knowledge of heavy artillery, Tachanka's training focused on defensive and breaching tactics as well. After his draft ended, he decided to enlist in the military. He was conscripted into military service at the age of eighteen, just as the Soviet Union was ending its operations in Afghanistan.
In Rainbow Six Siege lore, Tachanka is a special forces operator in the Russian Spetsnaz.
