Oleg Yurevich Lyalin is a character that appears in several Tom Clancy novels.
Biography
The Sum of All Fears
A member of the KGB, Lyalin was an illegal based in Japan in 1991 and had access to a well developed network of agents codnamed "Thistle". Lyalin uncovers the Japanese Prime Minister's corrupt dealings with Mexico over trade agreements and offers his services to the CIA. Based on his intelligence, DDCI Jack Ryan launches Operation NIITAKA, which later becomes instrumental in blackmailing the President of Mexico into allowing the arrest of Ismael Qati and Ibrahim Ghosn in Mexico City after the Denver Super Bowl bombing. Unfortunately, Lyalin was caught by the Soviets and charged with treason, but Ryan pleads with Sergey Golovko to free Lyalin as he did not reveal Soviet state secrets.
Debt of Honor
In 1995, Lyalin had become an instructor at the Defense Language Institute, based in Presidio of Monterey, California. He later tells John Clark and Domingo Chavez about THISTLE, his well-placed network of agents in Japan, and how to reactivate it.
