SOVIET MILITARY, ECONOMIC, AND TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITY IN THE SOVIET FAR EAST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004100830007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 14, 2001
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 13, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFOR. ATi N REPORT
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the UnitecI6 States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 arid 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
25X1A
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
USSR (Far East)
Soviet Military, Economic, and
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
13 May 1954
Transportation Activity in the Soviet
Far East
NO. OF PAGES
,4
DATE OF INFO.
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REQUIREMENT NO.
RD
PLACE ACQUIRED
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN' THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
U?
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Mi.itary'Activity
25X1X 1. in 1948, while in Khabarovsk, rumors of movements of several
air divisions toward the Chuko skit' en nsula. The air divisions
(aviatsioniye divizii) were allegedly full-strength and included normal
complements o support troops in addition.to the regular flight personnel.
Source saw evidence of this by the large number of Soviet air personnel
520
mov
ing eas
twar
d throu
gh K
habarov
sk.
Again,
in
1950,
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Sov
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pe
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was
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in
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25X1X
that th
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4.
Dur
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the main streets of the city. In addition to the artillery and armor,there
was a platoon or two representing an OC school, an infantry battalion,
and an engineer detachment. Source believes that these units, less the OCS
contingent,represented a line division then stationed in the city.
STATE X
x FBI AEC
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In 1948, source observed the eastward movement of materiel through Khabarovsk.
The Materiel was usually in boxcars, or covered by tarpaulins, and only
motor torpedo boats could.be positively identified. Source does not
Y'emember observing a single troop movement through Khabarovsk.
source learned, in 1950,
that the USER has a "powerful" submarine fleet in the Far East but that
there were then insufficient surface units attached to the Soviet naval fleet
in the Far East. Source has no additional information on Soviet naval
order of battle in the Far East.
7. During World War II, many Soviet officials in Moscow expressed concern
over the strategic vulnerability of the northeastern corner of Siberia,
particularly over the exposure of the Kola Basin to Japanese attack
through the Sea of Okhotsk.
8. Source has no information on early warning and GCI equipment, units, personnel,
or their disposition in the Soviet Far East.
9. Source knows that Soviet vigilance, including border patrols, over the
northeastern ccestlines was increased during the period 1948-1950.
However, assignments in the northeast were unpopular and personnel
for such billets were difficult to find. MVD personnel received
assignments in the northern areas by way of punishment. According to
source, the remnants of the old staffs of Yezhov and Yagoda have
been.exi1~{edLpermanently to these remote spots. Source believes that
the deployment of the MVD internal forces in these regionsAs thin and
weak. Personnel sent to this area for reasons other than punitive
receivedtwo years of service credit for each year actively served in the
area.
10. In 1948, source heard rumors that two capital ships were built'.at the
shipbuilding yards in Komsomolsk. These ships were either both cruisers,
or one a cruiser and the other a battleship.
Transportation Conditions
11. The roads in and out of the Khabarovsk area were classified as military
highways. The beat surfaced road that source observed in the Soviet Far
East was located near the Zavitaya (N`50-07, E 129-24) railway station,
about 40 km. from Khabarovsk. Source believes that the road ran no2th-
wardfrom Zavitaya. The roadfrom...:Khaborovsk to Vladivostok was. described
25X1X to source s being "very good and very pleasant
to drive on .
12. The usual road in the Soviet Far East was unimproved (gruntovyye dorogi),
of clay surface. The military roads were constantly graded and were
in good condition. A hard-top road was unusual in the Far East; the better
roads,,whether surfaced or unaurfaced, were high-crowned.
13. The cost of highway maintenance was extremely high and no effort was made
to keep the typical city streets in good condition. For example, in down-
town Khabarovsk, only two or three of the principal streets were asphalt
surfaced. The remainder of the streets and avenues were not only unsurfaced
but were also very pgnrly kept. This was particularly true of the suburban
areas. In winter, the street surfaces were frozen. There was little snow
in Khabarovsk during the winter; what there was remained uncleared. In
Vladivostok snow presented no problem as it rains throughout much of the
winter. Source stated that, as of 1950, the dockside road along the harbor
in the main port area was in good condition, although source does not
remember the type of surface.
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14. The.only truck traffic source observed was Studebaker 6 x 6 trucks
in the vicinity of Khabarovsk. Source stated that, as of 1948, there
was no civilian truck traffic between Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.
15. As of 1948, there were several army construction battalions deployed
in Khabarovsk and its immediate ,environs. Some of these troops
were railway: construction personnel. Source learned from the
commissioner of a regional conscription office (voyenkomat) that the
personnel selected for the construction battalions come from "unprole-
tarian" backgrounds. Their lot was an unhappy one, as the work was
hard and the hours were long.
E y tic ,2, n'ormation
16. The only economic value source ascribed to the northeast part of the Soviet
Far East was the mining of gold, uranium ore, and copper, and fur trapping.
However, source has no details on any of these subjects.
17. A large distillery located at I4ia'r Station (N 47-53, E 134-57), near
Khabarovsk,, manfactured a synthetic vodka from sawdust (sic). The
quality-of the beverage was inferirar, and many people would not drink
it for fear of blindness. This alcohol can also be used in artillery
hydraulic brakes. Source has no information on any other product made
at this distillery.
Prii own a and Forced Labor
18. There were many prison camps in and about Khabarovsk. There were no political
prisoners in I1aba3'ovsk, as these were interned in the Arctic.
19. Prisoners 4n Khabarovsk were employed in the construction of roads and
buildings, and in the production of such consumer goods as shoes and
clothing. Such products were sold for profit.
25X1 X 20. prison in Khabarovsk in which a shoe shop employing
prison labor was located. The shoes produced here e
told on the normal consumers' market. 2 5X1X
25X1X the wife of Nazarov (fnu), First Secretary of the Conmiunist Party
.of Khaba'ovskiy Itray. Mrs. Nazarova was visiting the prison for the
purpose of ordering shoes for herself. Although this practice was illegal,
source claims it was a ccn practice of the Communist Party hierarchy to
exploit prison labor for personal gain. Source stated that Nazarov was
later discharged from his position as a result of the many big mistakes he
made in agriculture (sic); however, source has no information on the alleged
mistakes.
21. Prisoners in Ihabarovsk were not heavily guarded. They were interned
behind barbed wire which was ret0fotoad? by. watcbtowere and guards armed
with rifles and,PPSe. Living, conditions. of the prisoners were very poor;
they were dressed in rags, and were poorly fed.
Black Cat Soo 1 ty
22. The Black Cat Society, a somewhat disorganized bandit and gangster
organization, co ti viet Far Eastern cities.
25X1 X Source heard? that the Black Cat Society
engaged in ro:ery an mur er in,certain sections of the city, and in
Vladivostok, Chita, and on Sakhalin Island. One of source's friends
told him that he had seen a m;ber of the Black Cat Socibty publicly
executed in the streets of Khabarovsk. Source tended to disbelieve
this story, and attributed it chiefly to his informant's boastfulness.
Source's own opinion of t4s organization is that it is small and ineffective,
and that its activities do not present the, mimilit_ia with a major criminal
,problem, although in the period 1935-1940' it was large and drew many young,
SECRET
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members. Source stated that organized crime, as such, was not a problem
in the Soviet Far East.
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Soviet Minority Nationalities in the Far East
23. The Soviets exploited certain native minorities in the far northern
areas of the Soviet Far East, such as the Eskimos, Kamchadais, Koryaks, and
Chukchi. This exploitation was primarily of the fur -hunting and
trading elements of these minorities, in that the Soviets purchased luxury
furs from these people at prices far below the normal,market value of the
furs. Source doubts that these minority elements were aware of this
exploitation, as they were inexperienced in the ways of civilization.
No acts of subversion against the Soviets have been committed by these
elements, to source's knowledge.
24. These minority elements of the Soviet Far East have the legal right
to own and carry weapons for the purpose of hunting. However, ammunition
is very expensive in the area.
25. Source considers it unlikely that any member of these native minorities
would be accdpted for membership in the Communist Party, as the Soviets
have low regard for the level of intelligence of these people.
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