ets ▁bom bed ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁K hot an ▁resulting ▁in ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁cas ual ties . ▁The ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 th ▁division ▁m elt ed ▁away ▁through ▁Kun l un ▁Mountains ▁in ▁Q ing hai ▁and ▁Northern ▁Tib et . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁war ▁Ma ▁H ush an ▁had ▁ex changed ▁messages ▁with ▁the ▁Nan j ing ▁Ku om int ang ▁government ▁and ▁expected ▁them ▁to ▁send ▁aid , ▁as ▁he ▁said ▁in ▁convers ations ▁with ▁Peter ▁F lem ing . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁attack , ▁China ▁was ▁inv aded ▁by ▁Japan ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁S ino - J apan ese ▁War . ▁The ▁pro - S ov iet ▁provincial ▁forces ▁of ▁Sh eng ▁Sh ica i ▁established ▁their ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁X in ji ang . ▁All ▁riv als ▁were ▁elimin ated , ▁and ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 th ▁Division ▁caused ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁central ▁government ▁in ▁X in ji ang ▁to ▁ce ase . ▁ ▁Sh eng ▁Sh ica i ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁mem orial ▁to ▁Rus si ans ▁killed ▁in ▁combat ▁by ▁Ma ▁H ush an . ▁The ▁mem orial ▁included ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁cross es . ▁ ▁The ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁government ▁was ▁fully ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁invasion ▁of ▁X in ji ang ▁province , ▁and ▁Soviet ▁troops ▁moving ▁around ▁X in ji ang ▁and