Final answer:
The historical texts provided do not specifically mention a character named Paul or his views on Russian POWs. Instead, they offer a depiction of the brutal treatment of the POWs and the complex perceptions of soldiers on both sides of the conflict during World War II.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question seems to be seeking an analysis of Paul's views on Russian prisoners of war (POWs) based on the provided excerpts from historical texts. However, the excerpts do not mention a character named Paul or contain enough information to directly answer what Paul specifically thinks of the Russian POWs. Instead, the excerpts discuss the general experiences and attitudes during the war—ranging from the treatment of prisoners in Siberian mines in the 19th century, the fate of Soviet soldiers during World War II, and the understanding of the human aspects of enemy soldiers by the Russian front-line fighters. Regarding POWs, the excerpts offer a grim picture of the horrific circumstances faced by Russian prisoners at the hands of Germans as well as the psychological impacts on the soldiers involved in mass shootings. Moreover, the reflections show that there were attempts to understand the common humanity of working-class German soldiers who were also victims of the fascist regime. Unfortunately, without additional context or source material referring to Paul's viewpoint, it is not possible to provide a specific answer regarding his thoughts on Russian POWs scavenging through German soldiers' garbage.