The Soviets rely on brute force to defeat their enemies. Their tanks well-known for their firepower and armour, but are also slow and expensive. They have a superior air force, but their naval fleet is only efficient when there are no anti-submarine ships in sight. They lack efficient anti-infantry weapons.
Infantry
Rifle Infantry
Cost: $100 | Prerequisites: none
Armed with an M-16, this trooper deals reasonable damage to enemy infantry and is commonly used for early game scouting. Unless massed, Rifle Infantry is hardly useful for anything else.
Grenadier
Cost: $160 | Prerequisites: none
The Grenadier has a longer range and more destructive power than regular infantry. In groups, Grenadiers are effective against heavily armoured units and structures. Their grenades deal splash damage in a small radius and suppress nearby infantry.
Engineer
Cost: $500 | Prerequisites: none
Engineers are used to capture enemy buildings or repair friendly ones. Since they carry no weapons, they are extremely vulnerable on the battlefield and must be directed very carefully. Engineers are very slow, so loading them into a Chinook is an ideal way to move them about the battlefield.
Attack Dog
Cost: $200 | Prerequisites: none
Specially trained German Shepherds, Attack Dogs are extremely effective against infantry, but are completely worthless against vehicles and structures. Additionally, Attack Dogs are your first, best and only line of defence against enemy Spies. You’ll want Attack Dogs guarding your base at all times.
Rocket Soldier (multiplayer only)
Cost: $300 | Prerequisites: none
Capable of damaging armoured units, these infantrymen make up for their lack of speed with a powerful punch. In addition to dealing with ground targets, their missiles are also effective against airborne attackers. While their rockets are ineffective against infantry, they deal splash damage in a small radius and suppress them.
Flamethrower Infantry
Cost: $300 | Prerequisites: Tech Center
These soldiers are slower and more susceptible to damage than other infantry (due to the large tanks of flammable chemicals they carry). The Flame Soldier can decimate structures and infantry in seconds with his flamethrower.
Tanya Adams (multiplayer only)
Cost: $1200 | Prerequisites: Tech Center
Armed with two .45s, Tanya can mow through infantry like they weren’t there. Her C4 Explosives can destroy buildings instantly if she is able to get adjacent to them in order to plant the explosives. Unlike other units, Tanya can never be put in guard mode – you must manually target all enemies that you wish attacked.
Shock Trooper (Aftermath only)
Cost: $900 | Prerequisites: Tesla Coil
Shock Troopers carry a portable Tesla pack on their backs. They move quite slowly, but they can be very useful since they can not be run over by enemy vehicles. They are essentially Tesla Coils on legs.
Volkov (Counterstrike and Aftermath campaigns only)
Unbuildable
This Soviet cyborg is very durable and can be armed with various weapons, depending on the mission he is sent in. His origins are a mystery, but his performance in the field is unmatched. Despite his cybernetic nature, he is still vulnerable to Attack Dogs.
Chitzkoi (Counterstrike and Aftermath campaigns only)
Unbuildable
A cybernetic dog most often deployed as a companion for Volkov. He functions the same as a standard Attack Dog, except that he is significantly better-armoured and leaps farther at enemy infantry, and is even able to scale cliffs to do so.
Vehicles
Ore Truck
Cost: $1400 | Prerequisites: Ore Refinery
This armour-plated vehicle seeks out and scoops up raw ore, then transports it to a Refinery for processing. It is slow and unwieldy and will need to be protected. However, it is well-armoured and can take a beating until reinforcements arrive, and can crush infantry if the need arises.
Heavy Tank
Cost: $950 | Prerequisites: none
The basic tank of the Soviet army, this beast is equipped with twin 105mm cannons, giving it twice the punch of the nearest Allied equivalent, the Medium Tank. It sacrifices speed for this advantage, but the net result still makes it a formidable opponent on the battlefield.
V2 Rocket Launcher
Cost: $700 | Prerequisites: Radar Dome
The V2 Launcher can destroy most buildings with just two rockets. Factor in its incredible range, and it is easy to see why the Allies fear this weapons platform. Its drawbacks are its light armour, long reload time, and inability to hit fast-moving targets.
Mobile Radar Jammer
Cost: $600 | Prerequisites: Radar Dome
The Mobile Radar Jammer disrupts enemy radar functions, shutting down transmissions and display. The range of this unit allows it to hide a good distance away from the enemy base while other forces use the radar blackout to attack.
Anti-Personnel Mine Layer
Cost: $800 | Prerequisites: Service Depot
The Anti-Personnel Mine Layer deploys mines to thwart the Allied heavy infantry ranks. This mine can destroy entire groups of infantry with one explosion. The Mine Layer carries up to 5 mines, and can be reloaded at the Service Depot.
Mobile Construction Vehicle (MCV)
Cost: $2500 | Prerequisites: Service Depot
As you will see in the section on Soviet buildings, the heart of every base is the Construction Yard. When deployed, this vehicle becomes a Construction Yard, providing you with all of the benefits of that building. To deploy an MCV, select the vehicle and hold the cursor over it. If the cursor changes to a white circle with four arrows, left-clicking on it will deploy the vehicle. If the cursor has a red circle with a line through it, there is either not enough room to deploy or something is in the way. Move the vehicle (or the offending object) to find a suitable deployment site. The MCV must be protected at all costs
Mammoth Tank
Cost: $1700 | Prerequisites: Tech Center
Armed with dual 120mm cannons and Mammoth Tusk missiles, this giant is a force to be reckoned with. These weapons help compensate for its lack of speed, and enable it to take on just about any target on land or in the air. When this unit takes a lot of damage, it can slowly regenerate its health back up to 50%.
Tesla Tank (Aftermath only)
Cost: $1500 | Prerequisites: Tesla Coil
A new version of the mobile Tesla Coil prototype from Counterstrike. While weakly armoured, they pierce through armour and are very effective against infantry.
M.A.D. Tank (Aftermath only)
Cost: $2300 | Prerequisites: Tech Center
When activated, the driver leaps out and leaves the tank to explode. There is a short warning siren followed by a powerful harmonic shockwave hitting all buildings and vehicles in a very vast area. Infantry are unaffected by the shockwave.
Demolition Truck (Aftermath only)
Cost: $2400 | Prerequisites: Missile Silo
A drone truck carrying a nuclear payload. This truck can be targeted at buildings or detonated in specific areas (Ctrl+click). When it reaches its target or is otherwise destroyed, its payload detonates and destroys anything nearby. Its poor armour calls for careful handling.
Aircraft
Chinook Transport
Cost: $1200 | Prerequisites: none
Able to transport 5 infantry units through the air, the Chinook is ideal for landing engineers and other assault squads in an enemy base.
Hind
Cost: $1200 | Prerequisites: none
Large and armoured, the Hind uses its high-velocity Vulcan chain gun to tear apart enemy units and structures. Equipped with a large ammo supply, the Hind will follow its target for quite some time, all the while wearing away at its defenses.
Yak
Cost: $800 | Prerequisites: none
The Yak fires in strafing runs, swooping down on groups of marching infantry, potentially destroying them all in a single run. The Yak is rather slow, making it an easy target for anti-air weapons.
MiG
Cost: $1200 | Prerequisites: none
This fast attack craft carries a limited number of powerful and accurate missiles. Used in hit-and-run tactics, the MiG can remove armoured units and buildings before they can become a threat.
Badger
Unbuildable
This large cargo plane is used for dropping Paratroopers and Parabombs if an Airfield is present. It is not controllable by the player.
Ships
Transport
Cost: $700 | Prerequisites: none
This unit allows transportation of up to 5 ground-based units across the water. Transports can only be loaded/unloaded on shores, and they are at their most vulnerable while unloading.
Submarine
Cost: $950 | Prerequisites: none
Silent and stealthy, Submarines can attack ships from afar. Subs must surface to fire, giving away their position, and opening themselves up to any nearby units that can hit them. When attacked or badly damaged, they are visible to all other units.
Missile Submarine (Aftermath only)
Cost: $1650 | Prerequisites: Tech Center
This special unit behaves in the same way as the regular Submarine, except that it fires long-range missiles at ground targets within its range, filling the void in the Soviet navy and becoming the answer to Allied Cruisers. When attacked or badly damaged, they are visible to all other units.