Ukrainian PoWs describe torture by Russian medic 'Dr. Evil'

Surviving Ukrainian prisoners of war have described being tortured by Ilya Sorokin, a Russian medic accused of running a detention facility in Mordovia. Ukraine’s SBU security service has charged Sorokin with torturing at least 29 Ukrainian prisoners of war in absentia.

Serhii Doroshenko, a Ukrainian military doctor, told the Times of London that Sorokin ordered prisoners to strip before subjecting them to cruel and degrading treatment. Doroshenko, who was captured in 2022 during the battle for Mariupol, spent over 1,000 days in Russian captivity before his release last year.

Doroshenko described how Sorokin would beat prisoners with a baton and a stun gun, targeting areas of the body he knew would cause pain. He said Sorokin reserved his worst punishments for Ukrainian medical personnel, based on unproven claims that they had conducted medical experiments on Russian troops.

Other prisoners described how Sorokin, also known as Dr. Shocker, would wear a medical mask or a balaclava with a skull design during torture sessions. Ukrainian marine infantry officer Pavlo Afisov told RFE/RL that Sorokin would shock prisoners with a stun gun and call them derogatory names.

Sorokin is also accused of using a stun gun on Ukrainian prisoners if they failed to shout 'Glory to Russian medicine!' or if they asked for help with medical issues such as heart pain, wounds, or toothaches. Inmates were ordered to address Sorokin with their heads down and hands behind their backs.

The European Union has sanctioned Sorokin for his alleged inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners. Sorokin has denied the allegations. A new report by the Kyiv-based Center for Civil Liberties states that hundreds of former prisoners have witnessed Russian medical professionals directly participating in torture and ill treatment of detainees.