Puppet soldiers

Infected soldiers are Red Army or private military patrol-men forcibly devolved into a mindlessly violent, zombie-like trance through the presence of the Parasite Unit.

Biography
On five separate missions in 1984 carried out by Diamond Dogs commander Venom Snake in both the plains of Afghanistan and the Angola-Zaire border region during the Restoration of Mother Base and the hunt for Cipher, the Parasite Unit is faced. Any nearby enemy soldiers are possessed by the Unit's malignant parasitic abilities, turning them into mindless zombies that viciously attack Snake upon sight. This was done to provide somewhat of a backup force for the Parasite Unit, serving as foot-soldiers that can overwhelm Snake and distract him from the Parasite Unit. Even after the Parasite Unit's disappearance, the aftermath of their destructive appearances left several outposts overrun with zombies that Snake has the option to eliminate.

Personality and traits
The infected soldiers are identified by their deathly pale skin, whitening of their pupils, blackening around their eyes and mouths, and several small blue orbs emitting from their head. The soldiers' behavior and abilities borrow quite heavily from the traditional zombie "cliches" in media. They mindlessly saunter about in a zombie-like gait, are incredibly durable as they can tank through virtually any attack as long as it doesn't destroy their brain, will break out into an animalistic sprint upon spotting Snake, violently swatting at him, and will sometimes get a hold of him and try to feast upon him. In the missions in which the Parasite Unit are faced, after they are defeated, all nearby soldiers revert to their normal state, albeit in a state of deep unconsciousness. However, as aforementioned, some infectees were left over from the incident and still wander outposts.