Boris

Actor: ??

Name: Boris*Nationality:* Soviet*Affiliation:* Soviet Union*Role:* Commando*Rank:* Not specified*Primary weapon:* Specially modified AKM*Equipment:* Laser designator*Special ability:* MiG air strike*Conflict:* War against Yuri*Game:* Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge
Status: Unknown after the war Boris is an elite commando from the Soviet Union and the Soviet counterpart to Tanya during the events of Yuri's Revenge. He replaces the Psi Corps Soldier in the Soviet arsenal, who became unavailable following Yuri’s betrayal.

Very little is known about his early life or his career before the war. Nevertheless, he had already distinguished himself sufficiently in combat to become a Hero of the Soviet Union prior to the events depicted in the game.

Boris is, above all, a specialist in combat against infantry. He uses a specially modified AKM, whose power and accuracy enable him to quickly eliminate most enemy Soldiers.

Unlike Tanya, however, he does not use C4 charges to destroy buildings.

When faced with an enemy structure, Boris uses a laser designator to mark his target and call in a formation of MiG Fighters.

The aircraft then arrive from outside the combat zone, bomb the designated target and immediately leave the area. Boris must keep his Laser Turret trained on the building until the strike arrives.

This method perfectly sums up his role:Boris is less a Saboteur than an assault Soldier capable of directly coordinating Soviet infantry and air forces.

Like Tanya and Yuri Prime, he has also undergone exceptional training that makes him immune to mind control, an advantage that is particularly important during the war against Yuri.

In the Soviet campaign of Yuri's Revenge, Boris plays a major role from the very start of the operation in San Francisco, where the Soviets seek to use the Allied time machine to travel back in time before the Psychic Dominator network is activated.

He subsequently takes part in several operations against Yuri and is notably involved in London, where he helps to free the Allied Forces under psychic control.

However, these events form part of the Soviet campaign, which constitutes an alternative branch of the events in Yuri's Revenge rather than the main storyline.

Above all, Boris represents the Soviet response to Tanya Adams. The two Commandos fulfil a similar role, but their methods perfectly reflect the doctrines of their respective factions.

Tanya prioritises mobility, infiltration and direct destruction using C4, whilst Boris relies on the firepower of his rifle and massive air support from MiGs. Unlike Tanya, he is, moreover, unable to swim.

The rivalry between the two characters is most evident in their respective statuses: Tanya represents the iconic Allied Commando, Boris that of the Soviet Union, whilst Yuri Prime fulfils the same role for Yuri's Army.

No precise explanation has ever been given for Boris’s disappearance following Yuri's Revenge.

When the Soviets alter history by eliminating Albert Einstein and create the new timeline of Red Alert 3, the role of Soviet Commando is taken on by Natasha Volkov. Boris is no longer mentioned in this new reality.

Natasha should therefore not be regarded as a new version of Boris, unlike the various incarnations of Tanya: they are two distinct characters belonging to different timelines.

Boris thus remains the embodiment of the Soviet Commando from Yuri's Revenge: a war hero sent straight into the heart of enemy lines, capable of wiping out infantry with his AKM and turning a simple laser pointer into a call for Soviet air support.