Russian 'psychopath' torturer dubbed Dr Evil by Ukrainian POW victims for his brutality at hellhole gulag is unmasked by activists

Daily Mail​

17-07-2025

A 'psychopath' torturer known as Dr Evil in a Russian jail has been unmasked with the help of Ukrainian POWs whom he 'inflicted with electric shocks, beatings and sexual humiliation'.
Dozens of exchanged prisoners collaborated with independent journalists to track down the Russian prison medic who subjected them to physical and psychological abuse.
The twisted doctor was named as Ilya Sorokin, 34, who worked in a medical unit serving hellhole Penal Colony No. 10 in the Russian region of Mordovia.
His cruel torture led to the death of one Ukrainian soldier Volodymyr Yukhymenko, who was diagnosed after captivity with pneumonia, multiple fractures and internal bleeding.
The investigative journalists from outlets Schemes Current Times gathered testimony from more than 150 released prisoners, and analysed open sources, including social media, locating video evidence from a Medical Service Day event in which Sorokin is seen and heard, highlighted by OCCRP.
Dozens of former inmates identified the man as Dr Evil.
He has now switched jobs and is now an army medic, and when contacted by reporters pretended to deny his role.
However, there is overwhelming evidence that Sorokin was the torturer in a jail where at least 177 Ukrainian POWs were sent.
'Nearly all, according to Ukrainian officials who interviewed them when they returned home, reported having been tortured and subjected to relentless physical and psychological violence,' said the report, which obtained testimony from almost 50 ex-inmates.
'They described rampant sexual violence - threats of rape, beatings aimed at their genitals - and psychological torture, like mock executions.
'They said they were forced to stand for up to 16 hours a day, listen to loud Russian patriotic songs for equally long stretches (or 24 hours straight, if they were in the punishment block), and sometimes sing along to the Russian national anthem, hands on hearts.'
They recounted the doctor as the worst torturer.
'He wore a white coat and usually hid his face behind a medical mask or a balaclava, but the prisoners said his voice was unforgettable', said the report.
'It was manic, screechy,' one said. 'Indescribable.'
He stood out for his 'pointless sadism and betrayal of medical ethics'.
He forced them to hold out their hands, then jolted them with an electric shocker or stun gun.
'He made prisoners bark and crawl like dogs, or crow like roosters. One POW barked especially well and was made to do so constantly.'
Former POW Yulian Pylypey said: 'God forbid he didn't. The doctor would immediately shout: 'You, bark!'
Inmate Pavlo Afisov said: 'His favourite question for all of us was, 'Who are you?'
'We had to reply, 'F******.'
He made them chant: 'Glory to Russian medicine!'
Those who didn't faced electric shocks.
Sick prisoners - one with a rotting tooth - were denied treatment.
One Ukrainian prisoner, Volodymyr Yykhymenko, died after being beaten.
His cellmate said Dr. Evil refused to examine him.
Research helped identify him as Ilya Sorokin, a married father of two, who lives in Potomac, 19 miles from the brutal jail.
'Social media shows Sorokin as nostalgic for the Soviet Union and proud of his role,' said the report.
'He supports the war and posed in military garb, shared chauvinistic memes, and performed comedy skits for holidays.'
A journalist reached him and said, 'Ukrainian servicemen... identify you as the person who tortured and beat them.'
He replied: 'That can't be true. I don't work there.'
He hung up, and blocked the number, yet his face and voice were confirmed by multiple former victims of his sickening violence, which flouts the rules of war.
The prison service and penal colony did not comment.