Major Kuznetsov

a tall man about 27-29 years old, dressed in military clothes and a bulletproof vest, with something like a cap on his head

The commander of a small detachment of the military, who was tasked with guarding the checkpoint under the bridge and not letting stalkers pass in either direction. However, both the major and his wards ignore the order to fire to kill, instead they are engaged in bribery, resorting to weapons only if someone tries to pass without paying. If you approach Kuznetsov some distance away, he will immediately look at the player and invite him to come over to talk. In the dialogue, he will indicate that passage is forbidden, but will hint that he can give in "if he really wants to." Having bribed Kuznetsov in the amount of 500 RU, you can have an hour of playing time without being afraid of aggression from the squad, after which you will need to give the bribe again if the player decides to go the same way. If the stalker admits that he does not have money, the major will order him to come when he "gets over it" and threaten to kill him if he tries to pass on his own. If at least one of the members of Kuznetsov's group dies for any reason, after visiting X18, special forces with AC-96/2 and Beryllium will come under the bridge, taking the places of the dead military. If the checkpoint is still under the command of a major and the stalker was not involved in the death of the military, the special forces will not show aggression, but in any other case they will fire to kill it protects the way to the zone, preventing stalkers from going deep into Chernobyl