Ukrainian prisoner of war sentenced to 28 years develops gangrene in his arm

Ukrainian prisoner of war Denis Dorokhin has developed gangrene in the arm in which he was wounded in 2022. His daughter reported this on Instagram.

‘My fingers have started to turn black and my arm is ice cold, even though I keep it in a glove constantly. It looks like gangrene is setting in,’ reads an extract from a letter his daughter published. She adds: ‘From his recent letters I have learned that his condition has deteriorated catastrophically. Because he did not receive proper treatment for a prolonged period after his injury, the blood supply to his arm has been severely impaired, the tendons have atrophied, circulation is almost entirely absent, and his fingers have turned black.’ According to his daughter, Russian doctors have diagnosed Denis Dorokhin with gangrene of the upper limb.

He has not been admitted to hospital. Instead, he is being treated on an outpatient basis with intravenous drips, injections and medication.

Denis Dorokhin defended the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol. On 1 April 2022, he sustained a gunshot wound to the arm. According to his daughter, surgeons at Azovstal were able to stabilise the limb, but further rehabilitation was impossible. On 18 May, he surrendered alongside other defenders of Mariupol. In 2024, a Russian court in Donetsk sentenced him to 28 years’ imprisonment. According to the prosecution, he and six other servicemen carried out indiscriminate shelling of the villages of Berdianske and Volodarske.

Denis Dorokhin is currently believed to be held at Penal Colony No. 8 of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic in the town of Khrestivka, though he is due to be transferred for a new trial in the near future. In early June, he was added to Rosfinmonitoring’s list of terrorists. He is believed to have been charged under terrorism legislation because of his service in the Azov regiment. According to his daughter, amputation of his arm is medically indicated, but the operation will not take place because of his impending transfer. Without surgery, he risks developing sepsis, which could be fatal.