Yevgeni
Yevgeni is an arctic fox who serves as a recruiter for Mikhail Icener's Vladifrostok-based network in We Can Fix Pawbert. Introduced in "Traceback", he is responsible for identifying and recruiting vulnerable mammals in Zootopia to work for the network, often targeting ex-convicts and others with limited employment options.
Background
Yevgeni operates as a field-level recruiter for Icener's network, working to expand the organization's presence within Zootopia by targeting mammals who are desperate for work and unlikely to ask questions. He meets with potential recruits in public locations like diners, presenting job opportunities that mask the network's true criminal operations. His recruitment materials include property addresses, contact protocols, and forged credentials.
Personality
Yevgeni is cautious and alert, with the survival instincts of a low-level operative who knows his expendability. When confronted by ZSI, he immediately attempts to flee rather than fight, recognizing his own limitations. Once captured, he cooperates quickly out of self-preservation rather than any moral awakening. Kira Roskova dismisses him as someone who "always talks when he's scared," suggesting a reputation for prioritizing his own survival over organizational loyalty.
Series History
Season 5
"Traceback": Yevgeni meets with a potential recruit named Spotrick at Dusty Mesa Diner in Canyonlands. Luther spots him exiting the diner and coordinates with Nick and Judy to intercept. When Yevgeni recognizes Luther, he bolts through the commercial district, vaulting dumpsters and using his knowledge of the neighborhood to evade pursuit. Judy cuts him off through a gap in a fence and tackles him into a stack of wooden pallets. Once in custody, Yevgeni quickly provides ZSI with a property list containing dozens of network locations across Zootopia, revealing the scope of Icener's infiltration of old Lynxley infrastructure.
"Fieldwork": Yevgeni's intelligence forms the foundation of ZSI's multi-site raid operations. Shaw uses his property data to identify the Hyenahurst staging area at 3018 Dry River Road, which leads to the discovery of Canal District relay operations. When Roskova learns of Yevgeni's capture, she immediately orders the abandonment of staging areas within two districts of the raided sites and relocation to tertiary caches not included in his intelligence, demonstrating both his value and his limitations as an informant.
Key Relationships
Kira Roskova
Roskova holds Yevgeni in contempt as an unreliable subordinate. Upon learning of his capture, she immediately assumes he will cooperate with authorities and takes steps to minimize the damage his information can cause.
Spotrick
Yevgeni was in the process of recruiting Spotrick, a young ocelot, when he was captured. Pawbert intercepts Spotrick inside the diner and convinces him to become a witness rather than fleeing.
Key Quotes
| Quote | Speaker | Context |
|---|---|---|
| "He'll talk. He always talks when he's scared." | Roskova | Dismissing Yevgeni's reliability after his capture (E05 tag) |
Trivia
- Yevgeni's capture in Canyonlands represents one of ZSI's first major intelligence breakthroughs against Icener's network.
- The property list he provides leads directly to the Hyenahurst and Canal District raids in the following episode.
- His recruitment materials reveal the network's practice of targeting ex-convicts, which provokes an emotional outburst from Pawbert who views this as exploitation of vulnerable mammals trying to rebuild their lives.