Newly released archival records shed light on mass killings in Hailar carried out on the first day of the Soviet offensive in the Far East
On August 9, 1945, a notorious Japanese army unit executed dozens of civilian prisoners in the city of Hailar, on the day the Soviet Union launched an offensive against the Imperial Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.
To mark Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day), the Russian authorities published historical documents for the first time detailing the killings. The files were compiled by the Soviet military counterintelligence service (SMERSH), which investigated the crimes and brought some of those responsible…
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