First joint mission to find Soviet soldiers’ remains launched in China

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. A Russian-Chinese search team has launched the first ever joint search for remains of Soviet soldiers in northeastern China, where a rifle division of the Soviet army was engaged in fierce fighting with units of a Japanese infantry division in August of 1945. "Russia and China have started search within the framework of the first joint expedition to eternalize the memory of Soviet soldiers killed in China," the head of the Russian Defence Ministry’s remembrance department, Vladimir Popov, said. Their work will continue till June 10 2015, he said. The team will work in Muling country of Mudanjiang, southeastern Heilngjiang povince and is held with direct participation of the Russian Embassy to China and the office of the Russian Defence Ministry for battle monument work in China, he said. "Remains of Soviet soldiers will be reburied in China in September with military honours," Popov said. A total of 515 people, including 52 officers, 463 common soldiers and sergeants, were killed in fight against Japanese troops, according to data from the inter-service search team of Russia’s Amur region. Read more