In 1945, just days before the end of World War II, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria, overrunning Harbin. To celebrate the end of the war a short time later on August 21, the Soviets held a formal reception to which they invited the many minority leaders of the city, including Dr. Kaufman. The Soviets then kidnapped him along with two of his colleagues, Anatoly Grigorievich Orlovsky (Анатолий Григорьевич Орловский), and Moses Gdalievich Zimin (Моисей Гдальевич Зимин)).