English Translation

86 - 14 - I had the opportunity to see and speak to Russian officers and non-commissioned officers in a prison camp. The officers in the lieutenant and lieutenant rank were all reserve officers except for one pilot officer. The sub-companies were for the most part from the tank force. They were ll officers and 7 noncompanions. The officers as human material made a very subtle impression, dull and unintelligent. The officers were not quite as bad, even if they did not correspond to the Western European idea of an officer. One could perhaps address them as type of the awakened mechanic, what they were of their origin - locomotive drivers, turners, turntables, etc. - also. The training period was 3 years and less, some had previously been in the Ossoaviachim. Higher military education seemed to be lacking, as well as any knowledge of foreign languages. It is possible that these officers were the already mentioned first, sneaker set-up of Soviet pilots. We had the opportunity to speak with the Russians freely and in part without Finnish interpreters. We could not see that even the trace of an opposition to the Soviet regime was present. On political questions they expressed themselves very reservedly and without forgiving themselves in the slightest. They gave no answer to questions about military details. As they told us, they expected that they would be shot soon, which was probably just a fixed idea. Nevertheless, they kept posture. They did not have the impression that they were particularly fanatical communists, but rather they did not give the impression of being more intelligent but more reliable and in their kind of decent soldiers, on which the Soviet government can rely calmly. In general, I am inclined to consider all the narratives invented from statements by Russian prisoners in Finland on an upcoming revolution in Russia - 15 -