Recovery of 400 Soviet soldiers' remains begins

China and Russia started a search on Tuesday in Muling, Heilongjiang province, for the remains of Soviet soldiers who died in China during World War II.

Seventeen Russian archaeological specialists and nine volunteers from Heilongjiang University have joined forces for a monthlong search of 17 sites in a 32-sq-km area near Huoshao Mountain. The sites were identified during a preliminary survey in April.

In August 1945, the Soviet Red Army sent troops to northeast China to help defeat the Japanese invaders.