"Doctor Evil": Doctor who tortured Ukrainian POWs in Mordovia colony identified – media. PHOTO
Journalists have identified the doctor at the most secure Penal Colony No. 10 in Mordovia (Russia) who humiliated, tortured, and denied proper medical care to Ukrainian prisoners of war. The captives nicknamed him among themselves "Doctor Evil."
This is stated in the investigation of the Radio Liberty project "Schemes", Censor.NET reports.
The Russian torturer was revealed to be Ilya Sorokin. Journalists managed to identify him using testimonies from former prisoners held there from February 2023 to April 2025, as well as open sources, including photos and videos of medical staff serving the colony.
Sorokin has worked in the mentioned medical unit since at least 2018, and at the end of 2024 he enlisted in service and took the call sign "Doctor."
Systematic torture of prisoners of war
"Schemes" obtained data on 177 Ukrainian POWs who returned from the Mordovia colony. Investigators also spoke with several former captives who described Sorokin. According to them, he abused them and denied proper medical care.
In particular, Pavlo Afisov, an officer of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, spent a year and a half in the colony. He recalled how "Doctor Evil" forced prisoners to sing Russian songs under torture: "You stand bent over, hands raised, eyes closed, and he kicks you between the legs, in the liver, hits with a rubber baton and a stun gun."
Another marine, Oleksandr Savov, said the Russian torturer refused to help despite complaints of tuberculosis symptoms. Instead, Sorokin began shocking him with a stun gun and forced him to shout, "Glory to Russian medicine."
Death of a prisoner from torture by "Doctor Evil" confirmed
In addition, his actions could have led to the deaths of several prisoners, including Ukrainian soldier Volodymyr Yukhymenko.
He suffered from mental disorders, was unable to get out of bed, and died on September 1, 2023. After his body was returned, an examination in Ukraine revealed pneumonia, fractures, hematomas, and multiple bruises.
Journalists collected photos of the staff from Medical Unit No. 13, which serves the colony, and showed them to 150 former prisoners for identification. Most recognized Sorokin. Video footage from an official medical service event capturing participants’ faces and voices allowed for precise confirmation of his identity.
What is known about the torturer?
The 34-year-old Sorokin, according to the investigation, comes from a typical Russian family: his father is nostalgic for the USSR and Stalin, and his sister is married to a paratrooper from Tula.
Sorokin himself participates in May 9 parades carrying portraits of relatives, wears Soviet uniforms and St. George ribbons. After the occupation, he visited Crimea. His social media profiles feature covers with Z-symbols and support for the Russian army.
Until recently, Sorokin actively posted photos from his workplace on social media. In 2022, he received a certificate for "public activity." His profile listed Medical Unit No. 13 as his place of work. According to Russian databases, his income in 2021 was approximately 680,000 rubles.
When journalists asked Sorokin about the torture allegations, he briefly replied, "That can’t be true. I don’t work there."
This investigation by "Schemes" reveals one of the most secretive chapters of the Russian system’s treatment of prisoners of war. The collected data may serve as a basis for future war crimes investigations.
