 000042346
 Zeading Soviet mevspapera and journals Dave recently begun publishing
 an increasing number of articles and news reports on sightings of
 unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in various areas of the Soviet Union.  A'
 "permanent center" for the study of t1FOs has been established in Moscow to
 conduct research and support the investigation of reported sightings.
 Setting the tone fox this aedia coverage vas an article in the 9 July
 1989 SOTSIALISTICHBSKAYA INDUSTRiYA, which referred to many recent reports
 of UFO sightings in the USSR.  Interviewed by the paper, P. Prokopenko,
 director of a laboratory for the study of "anomalous phenomena," stated
 that a "permanent center" for the study of UFOs is being established in the
 Soviet Union.  In addition to conducting research and presenting lectures
 on UFOs, the center will support the investigation of reported sightings.
 In referring to an issue of the paper published in July 1988 that
 included a report on "an amazing event that took place on BiII 611 near the
 village of Dalnegorsk in Primorskiy 1Cray," the article noted that the event
 is still under investigation.  Many observers saw a flying sphere crash
 into one of the hill's twin peaks, and physicists and other scientists from
 the Siberian Division of the USSR Academy of Sciences are still studying
 the "fine mesh," "small spherical objects," and "pieces of glass" that are
 considered to be small remnants left behind by the sphere.  According to
 the article, the alleged spacecraft vas nearly obliterated in the crash,
 but there appew*~ to be enough material at the site for the scientists--a
 mixture of UFO *enthuaiasts* and skeptics-to eventually "penetrate this
 aystery."
 In studying the site, scientist A. Makeyev reported finding gold,
 silver, nickel, alpha-titanium, molybdenum, and compounds of beryllium.
 One of the "skeptical" physicists from Tomsk has hypothesised that the so-
 callad sphers could have been some kind of a "plasmaid," formed by the
 "interaction of geophysical force fields," which captured the elements
 found by 1lakeysv from the atmosphere on its trajectory toward
 disintegration oL the hilltop.  Other researchers have generally rejected
 this explanation since the awouata of various types of metals found at the
 site would iaply, according to this "piasmoid" theory, that "the
 concentration of metals in the atmosphere should exceed the present level
 by a factor of 4,000."
 Approved !or ite~~s?
 Date   auc 91
 000042346
 Some of the scientists have concluded that the object that crashed into
 Hill 611 vas an "extraterrestri~" space vehicle constructed by highly
 intelligent beings.  Doctor of   esical Sciences v. vysotskiy stated that
 "without doubt, this is evidence of a high technology, and it is not
 anything of a natural or terrestrial origin."  He cited the fact that the
 remnants of fine scab included bits of thin meads with a diameter of only
 17 sicrons and that these threads, in turn, were composed of even thinner
 strands twisted into braids.  Extremely thin sold wires were discovered
 intertwined in the finest threads--evidence of an intricate technology
 beyond the present capabilities of terrestrial science, according to
 vysotakiy.
 50TSULISTIt~8S1CAYA II~DUSTRITA of 25 July 1989 reported that a OFO
 sighting had been classed by engineer Yuriq Ponosarmko and a stoup of
 workers at a collective faro in the Dnepropetrovsk region.  The object was
 described as a disk with two beams of light emanating from its sides.  The
 witnesses saintaine~ that they bad observed the object on the ground for
 about 20 minutes, and that it witted na sound when it flee away.
 The August 1989 issue of the Soviet journal NAUKA I ZHIZN included a
 9-page article which, after summarizing the history of LIFO-sightings-in -----
 general, contrasted sole of the views of the "skeptics" with some of the
 opinions of the "enthusiasts" on the numerous reported UFO sightings in the
 USSR, including incidents in Serpukhov, Petrozavodsk, and Rudpya.
 According to the "enthusiasts," UPOs have Ieft evidence of their visits on
 many occasions, including the 5erpukhov incident in which, they claim, a
 UFO Ieft a circular depression in the grass with a diameter of A meters.
 The skeptics maintaip that Bost of this so-called "evidence" can be
 explained as having no connection with extraterrestrial intelligence.  luny
 of the sightings could be attributed to rocket testing, for example.
 Academician Vladimir vaailyevich Migulin, director of the Terrestrial
 Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Vave Propagation Institute in Troitsk,
 which has a section for the investigation of anomalous phenomena in the
 atmosphere, maintains that over 90 percent of UFO sightings can be
 nullified by such aundane explanations.
 STROITSLNAYA GAZETA of 16 September 1989 reported that in August a
 group of observers including physical scientist Blvir 1Curchenko began
 investigating :pother circular depressed area in a forest near Surgut after
 ?a' worker ~elaimed that a .UFO bad visited the Site:  ~?  - ~~  - -   .
 SoTSIALISTIC~SRAYA IPDUSTRIYA of 30 September 1989 noted that media
 all over the Soviet Union were receiving reports of UPO sightings on the
 srouad and in the air, adding that the paper's editorial office was
 reviewing hundreds of reports related to UFO incidents.  In response to
 this deluge of reports, the paper interviewed Anatoliy Listratov, chairman
 of the section of the Ail Vnion Astronomical and Geodesic Society assigned
 Lo the study of anosaloua phenomena, who said that;although his group is
 "still wandering around in the darkness," some important developments in
 the investigations had recently occurred.  He stated that "at the sites of
 the Iandings...the operating frequency of a crystal-controlled oscillator
 changes.  Simply speaking, electroAic timepieces run at rates that are
 either too fast or too siov."
 Listratov noted that Soviet military officers and pilots had recently
 started prodding same docweentation on UFO sightings. As an example, he
 stated that 6e had documentary information regarding an encounter between
 Soviet aircraft and a UPO over the city of Borisov.  The crews of two
 000042346
 Soviet aircraft reported seeing a large flying disk in their vicinity xith
 five beams of light esaaatiag frpm it:  three beams mere directed toxard
 the ground sad two were projected upxard when the object vas first sighted.
 The ground controller instructed one of the planes to alter its course and
 approach the object, at which point the disk f,~ex to the same level and
 aimed one of its beams at the approaching Sov#et plane, illuminating the
 cockpit.  Listratov cited the pilot's log  w  stating:_ "At this time, the
 copilot vas at the coatrol.s.  He observed the maneuver that the object had
 just carried out and rasa able to raise his Land to shield himself frog the
 nabearable light.  The aircraft commander vas resting is the adjoining
 seat, and a bright ray of light, projecting a spot with a diameter of 20
 centimeters, passed across his body.  Both pilots felt beat."
 dccording to Listratov, the aircraft eommaader and his copilot both
 'became "invalids" shortly after the incident.  The copilot vas forced to
 Ieave his job due to, a sudden deterioration in his health, including the
 onset of sudden prolonged periods of "loss of consciousness."  The iircraft
 +eoarander died Within a few months.  The cause of death vas listed as
 "csacer,* and "injury to the organism as a result of radiation from an
 unidentified flying object" xas listed as a contributing factor on the__
 official ^edfcal record in the hospital xhere the commander died, according
 to Listratov.
 Listratov told SOTSIALISTICHESKAYA INDUSTRIYA that about 95 percent of
 UFO sightings could be explained, sad investigations have often revealed
 them to be burned-out rocket stages or the remnants of unsuccessful rocket
 launches.  It is the 5 percent that cannot be explained that is causing all
 the commotion among Soviet scientists and eilitary personnel.  Instead of
 the xidesprtad skepticism that he had expected rhea he first began to
 interview military personnel, he noted that officers and soldiers had told
 him about their oxn encounters with UFOs, and they had even shown him
 reports that had been completely filled out on official forms.
 HOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA of 7 October reported that the Soviet Union had
 just opened an official center for the study of UFOs in Moscow.
 Physicists, geologists, astronomers, and psychologists are teaching courses
 on the various characteristics of the UPOs that have been reported and the
 types of equipment necessary to Investigate UPO sightings.
 _.  :_On 9 October?#he Soviet news a~encj- TASS reported thit a UFO had landed
 in a park in the city of Voronezh.  TASS reported that the object had been
 observed by many witnesses before it left.
 Ri0MS0lIOLS1CAYA PSAVDA of 12 October reported that a group of scientists
 had visited a field in Perm Oblast to investigate claims that a UFO had
 landed in that area and had left behind a circular impression measuring 62
 meters in diameter.
 1CRASNAYA ZVBZDA of 13 October suggested that mesa hysteria may be an
 important factor contributing to the recent outburst of videsgread claims
 of encounters with UPOs in the USSR.  wccording to the gaper, many elements
 of the Soviet media mere fanning this phenomenon, which it compared to the
 hysteria resulting from Orson Velles' radio broadcast in 1938 about an
 invasion of the United States by extraterrestrials.
 The 19-25 October issue of POISK carried an article contrasting the
 viewpoints of scientists from the two main Soviet institutes presently
 000042346
 engaged in investigating UFO reports--the newly established center for UFO
 studies in the Palace of Culture of Power Bngineers in Noacow and the
 Terrestrial Magnetisa, Ionosphere, and Aadio Vave Propagation Institute,
 which has branches in Troitsk, Leningrad, and,;Irkutsk.  Physicist Yuriy
 PLtov of the Terrestrial Nagnctism Iastftutd'does not believe the claias
 of scientists who aaiatain they have found remnants in Dalnegorsk of a UF8
 constructed by extraterrestrials, and he is convinced that the materials
 found at that site are really only the remaaats of the unsuccessful launch
 of a Soviet rocket in that region.  8e believes that many of the other
 reports of UFOs can be explained by the inability of the observers to
 recognize the phenoaenoa known as *ball iightning.*
 the POISR article contrasted Platov's view with that of another
 physical scientist, Vladimir Azhazha, who vas recently elected chairaan of
 the acv All-Union Comaission for the Study of Unidentified Flying Objects
 of the Union of Scientific and Engineering Societies.  Azhazha compared
 reports of a UFO crash in the USSR with a claia by UPO enthusiasts in the
 United States that a UFO had crashed in the destrt sear Aoswell, New
 Mexico, in 1947.  He believes there is sufficient evidence to support the
 claims of UFO crashes in both cases--in Dalnegorsk and is Roswell.  In fhe
 latter case, he cited the testimony of eyewitnesses who aaintained that
 they had seen the bodie~r of four extraterrestrials lying neat the smashed
 spacecraft.  According to Platov, hawevar, the eyewitnesses in the Roswell
 case were mistakes.  He believes that the object that crashed vas a USAF
 experiaental rocket with four Rhesus monkeys aboard and that the accident
 was the result of an unsuccessful launch attempt at the dawn of the space
 era.
 SOTSIALISTICHESKAYA INDUSTRIYA of ZI October noted that hundreds of
 residents had reported observing a UFO in Oask and that many of these
 eyewitnesses had reported the sighting directly to the paper's office in
 Omsk.  The article included a report by an "authoritative" military
 officer, !!aj V. Loginov, who stated: "I must tell you straight off that
 radar did not detect this object, sad so I am reporting visual
 observations.  The object vas passing over at an altitude of several
 kilometers.  The visible shining sphere appeared to be about one and a half
 tines as large as the moon's shape in the sight sky.  Four projectors--some
 parallel and some at angles, to the Barth--acre casting very bright beams.
 The object?was in the field of vision for about S'~miriutes...hovering...oves?
 the civil airport before descending a little.  Then the projectors were
 turned off and a whirling pluae trail instantaneously appeared around this
 shining sphere.  The object began to recede rapidly in a direction from the
 northwest to the east at the sane titre that flights were being carried out
 from a neighboring airport.  Pilots were able to observe it visually, but
 they could not detect it on their radar screens....  aadar signals could
 not be reflected from it.  This object vas immediately reported up the
 chain-of-cvaAand, and our colleagues in the Altay~lCray, in the area toward
 which the object flew, reported back to us within S minutes that they had
 it under visual observation.  That meant that it had covered a distance of
 approximately 60O kilometers at a speed of about 7,000 kilometers per
 hoar."
 According to Loginov, all observations indicated that the object was a
 UFO being controlled by soae kind of intelligence and that it was not
 merely soae kind of anomalous atmospheric phenomenon.
 000042346
 SOVSTSKAIA gtJLTOAA of 28 October reported on the results of a
 conference in Petrozavodsk of about i00 Soviet scieatiats representinY the
 "various ~ranchea of science and technolvgy.* the Bain topic of discussion
 ens the a+ultitude of claims of recent OFO si~htings in the OSSR.  According
 to SOVSTSKA?A t.UL203A, sore questions about DFOs Mere raised at this
 conference than Mere answered. ~                   -
 d.ITBitAtt~NA?e GAZETA of 1 ttove~aber reported that 9oroneah, ~rhere some
 ~obaervera had elaiaed to have eitnesaed the  Ending and take-off of a ilFO,
 bas become the pLce for a *pilgrimage" by correspondents seeking
 sensational sews for their aewapapers, regardless of the controversial
 nature of the so-called *veighty evidence* being presented as proof that
 extraterrestrials had risited Voronezh.

