The following contains spoilers for the first two issues of Stranger Things: Kamchatka, on sale now.
In the Stranger Things Universe, the aggressive, rabid Demogorgon is one of the most feared species to have come over from the Upside Down. It set roots down in Indiana in Season 1 when Dr. Brenner's MKUltra experiments with Eleven's psychic powers cracked a rift open in the '80s, allowing the beast to slip through, feeding and returning home on a whim.
Luckily, Eleven fried it in the end, bringing comfort to Hawkins after it killed the likes of Barb and almost broke Will. However, in the first two issues of Stranger Things: Kamchatka (by Michael Moreci, Todor Hristov, Nate Piekos, and Dan Jackson), as the tie-in for Season 4 gave insight into the Russian base Chief Hopper got secreted to, it actually made the Demogorgon a victim.
It's revealed that a scientist, Boris Orlov, was kidnapped by Kremlin officials, who wanted to appropriate his work on telekinetic energy to open rifts as well. It turned out, Russia was peering into other worlds, which explained why America felt their rivalry was heating up even before the Cold War. But while he thought his theoretical work on the Multiverse would never deliver results, he was stunned to see a caged Demogorgon possibly being the key to this doorway.
Boris was quickly given an ultimatum, as the boss, Karine, wanted him to build a helmet, so they could harness the monster's energy and traverse space-time. However, he was reluctant, leaving his colleague, Lem, to graciously fill in by trying to copy his research and tech. Sadly, Boris knew the chances of results were slim from how the Russians were torturing the Demogorgon -- starving, tranquilizing, and hurting it, so it'd weaken mentally and allow them to garner intel on its energy. Boris just couldn't comprehend why they were clearly playing god with a creature they didn't understand, posing a massive risk to the nation.
He even sympathized with how it was treated as a cruel pet, fed prisoners when they were deemed traitors, but mostly brutalized once Karine said so. This does tease why Hop was fighting one in a gladiator's arena in Season 4 trailers, suggesting exhausting the beast was something the Russians saw as mandatory, not to mention a bit of sadistic fun.
This story left fans wondering how the Kremlin got this first Demogorgon and what was done to possibly get more. It also teased the Russians might have cracked rift-travel way before Brenner's team even understood the portals, ergo how they snuck into Hawkins and teleported Hop out when Starcourt Mall's rift blew up. Either way, Boris has been left cautious and fearful, because apart from figuring out how to escape, he knows he'll be next on the beast's feeding list. His only shot at survival is to make his device drain its life essence, but the scientist can sense the repercussions would be apocalyptic.