Nikolai Krukov

Nikolai Krukov (Russian: Николай Крюков) is a high-ranking Soviet general, who was infamous for his ruthless military tactics and inflated ego.
==Personality==
General Krukov was shown to be highly skilled as a field officer, and was a difficult opponent for any commander. Egotistic, dramatic and cruel, he wasted no opportunity to remind friends and foes of his glorious victories. Despite this, he is a true Soviet patriot. Nevertheless, he often made the mistake of underestimating his enemies, and had shown to be unwilling to recognize any superior abilities of his peers, opponents and subordinates.
Known for his brutal and rash arrogance during the war it should be noted that prior to the removing of Einstein, Krukov was seen as a patriot. The Soviet military leader regarded Cherdenko's plan with little faith but still agreed politely to go. When Zelinsky forbade him to touch anything the General did not respond violently and even listened to the advice of the doctor. While addressing Dasha, he was kind and polite. It is highly possible that Krukov's insolence was affected with the fact Cherdenko became Premier and that the Soviet Union had a new enemy.
==Storyline development==
===Allied campaign===
General Krukov was the de-facto leader of the Soviet military, and led the (miserably failed) assault on Great Britain. The Red Menace failed to invade Great Britain and Krukov swore that the Allies had not seen the last of him.
He retreated with his surviving forces into France and captured Cannes along with Soviet commander Moskvin. The Allied High Command dispatched an experienced Commander along with Special Agent Tanya and Commander Warren Fuller to rescue the Allied leaders, sabotage the naval forces and destroy Moskvin's base. Krukov himself was not there at the time and evaded defeat but he joined the last Soviet bastion (and strongest in Europe) to prepare a counter-attack. However Oleg was defeated when the same Allied Commander and Commander Lissette razed the Iron Curtain and the Soviet HQ.
When the Empire of the Rising Sun declared war on the Soviet Union and the Allied Nations, the General fought alongside his former nemesis. However when the Allies attacked Tokyo to knock the Empire out of the war, Krukov told the Allied Commander that the Soviet navy would not arrive in time to make a difference to the ongoing battle. 
He mockingly stated that the victory would be his alone if indeed he could be victorious. Against all odds, the Allied Commander and Lissette succeeded. Krukov was aware of Cherdenko's plan all along to destroy the Allies from a secret base in Cuba. The General remained in Leningrad where the Allied forces stormed the city and destroyed his Vacuum Imploder. At the end of the war, Krukov and Cherdenko were held in a cryo-prison for crimes against humanity.
===Soviet campaign===
Krukov is introduced to a new commander, whom Krukov disliked despite his tactical abilities, and the more favorable treatment the Commander received from Premier Cherdenko. Despite this, Krukov aided the commander in destroying the Allies HQ in Geneva and destroying the last Allied foothold in Europe. However, prior to the particular operation, Cherdenko ordered a staged assassination attempt on his own life to frame Krukov. Cherdenko, using the staged attack as a ruse, ordered the commander to assassinate Krukov, now labeled a traitor to the Soviet Union. The commander alongside Oleg succeeded in killing Krukov when the V.I.P. Bunker he was in was razed. The Soviets only realize the scheme when Cherdenko is killed after he betrays the Soviet Commander.
===Imperial campaign===
As the invasion of the Soviet Union continued, Crown Prince Tatsu ordered the Imperial commander to destroy Krukov using a Shogun Executioner. However, the General narrowly escaped before his HQ was destroyed. A short time later, he was seen along with Allied commander Lissette Hanley in the Allied-Soviet invasion of Yokohama Harbour. Although Krukov arrived later in the fight to reinforce the Allies, the Imperial commander still managed to defeat the coalition but Krukov retreated. During the siege of Kremlin, Krukov finally arrived to defend the city from the Imperial commander's attack. However, the General then met his end at the hands of the invading Imperial forces, as part of the Kremlin came crashing down. The Shogun, Kenji and the Shogun Executioner stormed him and a dying Krukov was outraged by his defeat.
==Selected Quotes==
==Trivia==
* Cherdenko uses the old Russian saying "Bottoms up, Nikolai" to General Krukov as he is leaving for battle in Geneva. The general is referred to as Boris in the game's loading screen, being the first character in the series since General Carville to have a name dispute.
* Krukov's brutal combat tactic and appearance make him loosely based on Georgy Zhukov, a high-ranking Soviet Red Army officer, a member of the Politburo after his participation in multiple battles in World War II, ultimately commanding the 1st Belorussian Front in the Battle of Berlin.
* Whenever Krukov enters the battlefield. His forces are color Purple. While the player and the Co-Commander are Red and Green respectively.
==Behind the scenes==
General Krukov is portrayed by Venezuelan-born Russian actor and producer Andrew Divoff. Known for playing the Foxtrot weapon officer in The Hunt for Red October, a Soviet soldier in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Mikhail Bakunin in Lost.
==Gallery==
File:TimCurryImage2.jpg|Behind the screen
File:RA3 Intro.jpg|Cherdenko introduced Krukov to Dr. Gregor Zelinsky
File:RA3 Time Machine.jpg|In Time Machine
File:RA3 Soviet Character 2.jpg|Arrival in Brussels, Belgium
File:TimCurryImage4.jpg
File:RA3 Erase Einstein.jpg
File:RA3 Soviet Character 1.jpg|Krukov receive the news of Empire invasion
File:RA3 Cherdenko and Kurkov argue.jpg|Cherdenko and Krukov argue
File:RA3 Nikolai Krukov.jpg|Nikolai Krukov before Soviet loyalists razed his V.I.P. Bunker
File:BCN Cryoprison.png|Cherdenko and Krukov frozen solid in Cryoprison
==Notes==
==See also==
* Robert Bingham
* Tatsu