Yuri Popov



"Yuri Popov... the greatest traitor of the Russian people as of today. Looks like he betrayed the people of the Russian Federation... that must've been so darn sad that they lost one psychic in here. Well, at least the Russian government is looking to replace him."

--Su Ji-Hoon, Yuri

Yuri Popov is a powerful psychic that was once Premier Romanov's chief advisor and later turned against the world in a bid to take over with his secretly organized personal army. Most likely, he, not Romanov, was the true ruler of the USSR in the 1970s (only in the Red Alert universe).

His appearance bears an uncanny resemblance to Vladimir Lenin and Kane, with a bald head and goatee. On his forehead are tattooed three Hebrew letters "resh" (ר), "vav" (ו), and "yod" (י), while psi stimulators linked to a psi collar underneath his clothes is surgically implanted into his skull. Professor Lizzy Loud of the Unified Capitalist Revolutionary Dictatorship referred to Yuri as "hostis humani generis," Latin for "the enemy of mankind".

In When the Cold Breeze Blows Away, he is a traitor to the Russian Ground Forces. Before the events of "Yuri Quits," he used Psi-Corp Troopers to attack the Grand Alliance, but during the chapter, the Russian people hated him when he betrayed all of Russia.

The next day, he build a huge army all by himself and he began a new diabolical plan to attack the world.

During the battle to save Amber, the real Yuri isn't in battle, but only one of the Yuri Clone leaders can guard Amber, but only Yuri in last his base.

Only he can be killed by Ruby Rose when the Grand Alliance attack last Yuri's base in Okane Island, Arkansas, United States. The last of Yuri's bases is in Okane Island, Arkansas, USA.

Background
"Yuri commands his forces from his ancestral home in... Transylvania! He is like a monster from the movies!"

--Alexander Romanov, Head Games

Much of Yuri's past remains unknown. He is of Romanian ancestry and inherited a castle in Transylvania from his family. During the Battle of Sevastopol, he took part in Putin's secret project, whose aim was to create an army of psychically-gifted soldiers to guarantee victory. However, the war ended with Russia's defeat and Ovsyannikov's death, although this likely did not stop Yuri, who single-handedly continued it. It is possible that his implant is the World War III model initially created by Russian scientists.

Following the war, Yuri joined Premier Romanov, whom he helped in rearming Russia, developing psychic technology and forming the backbone of the Psychic Corps.

Third World War
"This is my psychic beacon. With it, we can send any message we want. We will construct this device everywhere. In the end, Americans will be ours. Mind, body, and if you'd like, soul."

--Yuri Popov, Yuri's Ugly Past

Yuri played a key part in both the preparation and execution of the Russian invasion of the USA, using his mind-control technology to prevent nuclear retaliation, and later to turn the American population into mindless slaves via giant Psychic beacons.

During the war, little was seen of Yuri from the Grand Alliance side, although the Allied commanders knew that he was a key advisor to Romanov, and few ventured to guess that his influence on Romanov was more than just that of an advisor. As Moscow fell, he disappeared for a time.

Although Yuri himself did not join combat during World War III in any of the campaigns, there existed a number of units bearing his name. These 'Psi-Corps troopers' (referred to as 'Yuris' in multiplayer) had an uncanny resemblance to Yuri himself, later proven to be his clones.

Legacy
"Popov... you will be avenged... by me."

--Ettore Castello to Yuri Popov's grave, Puma Loco

Ettore Castello was saddened upon Yuri's death when he visits his grave.