Josef Yurinov

"Sergei might not know how valuable you are, but I do."

- Josef Yurinov

Josef Yurinov (Russian: Йозеф Юринов, Yozef Yurinov) is the Lieutenant of the Russian Mafia under mafia boss Sergei Voronov during Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and, according to Sergei, a former member of the KGB. He was sent to aid Sergei during the North Korean conflict, but is secretly monitoring Sergei's activities for his superiors. From the onset, he clearly appears to be more than another simple lieutenant.

Personality
Intelligent, highly skilled, subtle and adaptable, Josef is an absolute professional- the complete opposite of Sergei. He speaks quietly in stark contrast to Sergei's excited, often-irrelevant tangents and rants, and frequently makes careful amendments to Sergei's typically-reckless orders to avoid pointless risk and exposure to the Mafia. Josef is the metaphorical "power behind the throne," keeping the Mafia's enforcers (and Sergei) from going too far. Constantly alert, Josef remembers every detail Sergei forgets- which is practically everything.

A seasoned veteran in his line of work, Josef excels at managing Mafia business affairs, including trade deals with other people like the Deck of 52 members. Josef will gladly send an e-mail to Fiona detailing the location of various Deck of 52 members in exchange for the player completing Mafia contracts, as the Mafia always stands to profit in the process. Josef has spoken with the Seven of Clubs, Jack of Clubs, and possibly the Four of Clubs. He also presumably has had dealings with the Six of Clubs (Division 39's link with the Mafia) and the Four of Spades, as he sent an e-mail detailing her location to Fiona.

During the last quarter of the game, Sergei double-crosses Josef and the mercenary, sending them to an arms deal that turns out to be a North Korean ambush. In response to his betrayal, Josef seizes control of the operation and spends the rest of the game tying up loose ends and eliminating any trace of Sergei with the mercenary's help. He appoints a thug named Misha as his new lieutenant.

Trivia

 * When Josef is seen fighting, his weapon of choice is the Shotgun, which can help as the player escapes with him from the North Korean ambush.
 * Agent Buford seems fully aware of Josef's true purpose in the North Korean branch, as he mentions during one mission.
 * If the player chooses Mattias, it is revealed that Mattias and Josef did work together in Kosovo. This is most likely how Mattias became fluent in the Russian language.
 * During the ambush set up by Sergei, if the player returns him safely (completing the mission) Josef will reward the player with a payment of $1,000,000.
 * During Mercenaries 2 while at the PMC, Fiona will mention Josef, wondering if he is still alive and wishing he could be recruited to smooth out the PMC's operations.