 C00212850
 `+- Document 45 of 25 for F3IS   ?~
 DOCN 000602337
 PDTG P 181335Z SEP 95
 FM    FM F3IS WARSAW PL
 TO    TO AIG 4621
 RHFTA_AA/OSIA EUROPE R4EIN MAIN AB G=
 RUCBAIC/AIC NORFOLK VA
 RUC3AIC/AIC NORFOLK VA//DIIC//
 RUCOX.AQ/FITRON ONE ZERO ONE//320//
 RUCWA_AA/F3IS RESTON VA//POLCH//
 RUDXMXB/F3IS LONDON UK//BBC//
 RUDKMKD/F3IS LONDOND UK
 RUDKi'!KE/F3IS LONDON UK
 RLTDKVN/AM-z.MBASSY VILNIUS
 RUEABND/DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMIN HQ WASHINGTON DC//OIS//
 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
 RUEESK/?MEMBASSY MINSK
 RUEi;-7.R/AiHEMBASSY WARSAW
 RUERWAA/D_IR OPERATIONS GROUP CARISLE BKS ?A
 RfjESt-'/F3IS MOSCOW RS
 R -      /CDR USASETAF VICENZA IT//AESE- MO//
 9U.:-.BABA/CG III MEF //G-2//
 RU.ITAEA/NAIC WRIGHT PATTERSON A.FS OH//TAI//
 RX-DBHW/CINCNORTHWEST/ /UAJ/ /
 RXFNDA/COt?^INORTH / /JOINT INT/ /
 RXF?SH/S HAPE BE//PIO//
 ACCT FBWS-EW'D K
 BT
 CLAS UNCL.AS 3I/.MU
 SERI SERIAL:   +51809133595
 PASS PASS:     ATTN WIRE SELECT
 COUN COUNTRY: 3E L-ARUS
 SUBJ SUSJ:     TAKE 1 OF 2 -- DETAILS OF INQUIRY INTO U.S. BALLOON DOWNING
 REF   ?.EF:    MM1509180795 AND ADD MOSCOW KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA RUSSIAN 16
 SEP -- MORE ON FINDINGS ON BALLOON SHOOTDOWN
 SOUR SOURCE:   MINSK ZVYAZDA IN BELARUSIAN 16 SEP 95 PP 1,3
 TEXT TEXT:
 //((REPORT BY SYARHEY KHRYPACH:  "THE BELARUSIANS, SWISS, AND
 POLES ARE 'BLAMED' FOR THE DEATH OF U.S. BALLOONISTS.   WHERE IS THE
 TRUTH?" -- FIRST PARAGRAPH PUBLISHED IN BOLDFACE; PASSAGE WITHIN
 SLANTLINES PUBLISHED IN ITALICS))
 ( OBIS TRANSLATED TEXT))   A NUNBER OF QUESTIONS AND VERSIONS
 Ii"!l--DIATELY SURROUNDED THE UNIQUE TRAGEDY OF THE U.S. BALLOON WHICH
 WAS DOWNED OVER THE COUNTRY'S TERRITORY.  SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
 IN BYAROZAWSKI RAYON,  BREST OBLAST?  WAS IT A WAFT OF A NEW "COLD
 WAR," WHICH WOULD BE VERY ILLOGICAL AND SENSELESS IN THE CURRENT
 POLITICAL SITUATION?  OR WAS IT ABSURDITY THAT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF
 TWO PEOPLE?  TO PUT IT BRIEFLY, BELARUS HAS FOUND ITSELF FACING A
 LARGE INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL:   ON THE ONE SIDE OF THE BARRICADE THERE
 IS A SMALL, INDEPENDENT, AND NEUTRAL STATE WHICH IS JUST GAINING
 PRESTIGE AND RENOWN IN THE WORLD, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IS THE
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A STATE POWERFUL IN ALL RESPECTS.             Approved for Rele
 TO REMOVE ALL DOUBTS AND INSINUATIONS, AS WELL AS TO ISSUE AN
 OF ICIAL STATEMENT FOR THE FOREIGN PRESS, THE MEMBERS OF THE STATE
 COMMISSION FOR INVESTIGATING THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT, WHICH WAS SET UP
 AT TEE PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL INSTRUCTION, PROVIDED DETAILS OF THEIR
 INVESTIGATION ON 14 SEPTEMBER.   THEY WERE :R,?ORT?-D BY YURY SIVAKOW,
 C00212850
 COi`'^4ISSION DEPUTY C AIR.MAlN AND CHIEF OF THE 3ELARUSIAN SECURITY
 COUNCIL OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENT,  FIRST DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER
 VALERYY TSAPKALA, AND STATE AVIATION COMMITTEE CHAIR:AAN RYHOR
 FYODARAW.                                      -
 SO, ON 12 SEPTEMBER AT 0914,    THE ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE DETECTED A
 BALLOON IN BELARUSIAN AIRSPACE.   THE SERVICEZZN  WERE  SURPRISED BY
 THE BALLOON'S UNEXPECTED APPEARANCE,  SINCE THEY HAD NO INFORMATION
 ABOUT IT.   THE CENTRAL CO.M.M_AND POST EX.ALMINED ALL APPLICATIONS ((FOR
 FLIGHT PERMITS)) .   AS A RESULT OF THE EXAMINATION, THEY CONCLUDED
 THAT THIS FLYING OBJECT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THAT PLACE AT THAT
 TIM-_,  SINCE THERE WAS NO APPLICATION CONCERNING IT.   FOLLOWING THIS,
 MAJOR GENERAL VALERYY Ke? STEN <A,  COMIM-1-N-DER OF THE ANTIAIRCRAFT
 DEFENSE,   IN ACCORDANCE WITH NORMATIVE ACTS, DECIDED TO ANNOUNCE THE
 HIGHEST ALERT.
 'AT 1136 A TAKE-OFF ORDER WAS SENT TO PRUZHANY AIRFIELD.  A MI-24
 COMBAT HELICOPTER TOOK OFF WITH THE MISSION TO CLARIFY ALL REQUIRED
 INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIRCR.%FT AND TO IDENTIFY IT.   IN PARTICULAR,
 THE CREW WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO APPROACH THE OBJECT CLOSER THAN 50
 METERS. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME,  THE CHOPPER APPROACHED THE "UFO" AT 100
 METERS.   THIS TOOK PLACE 4 KILOMETERS AWAY FROM ANOTHER AIRBASE --
 ASOWTSY.                                        THE HELICOPTER CREW REPORTED THE FOLLOWING:
 /"WE CAN SEE A SMALL BALLOON OF A 3- OR 4-METER DIAMETER.  AN
 ATTACHMENT RESEMBLING A CLOSED FREIGHT CONTAINER HANGS ON THE ROPE.
 THE ENTIRE CONSTRUCTION WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 1 TONNE.  THERE ARE NO
 IDENTIFICATION SIGNS.   NOBODY IS ANSWERING INQUIRIES ON THE 121.5
 MLHZ INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY FREQUENCY.   THE OBJECT IS MOVING AT  AN
 ALTITUDE OF 2, 300 METERS IN A NORTH-EASTERLY DIRECTION OVER A
 MILITARY AIRFIELD AND NEAR A DEPLOYMENT SITE OF STRATEGIC MISSILE
 TROOP UNITS."/
 THE MI-24 FIRED WARNING SHOTS FROM 600 METERS:  THERE WAS NO
 REACTION.   FOLLOWING THIS, THE AIR DEFENSE COMMANDER HIMSELF GAVE
 THE. ORDER TO DESTROY THE BALLOON.   THE HELICOPTER MANEUVERED, MADE A
 180-DEGREE TURN, AND AT 1154 -- THREE MINUTES AFTER FIRING THE FIRST
 ROUND -- THE YOUNG CA._PTAIN AGAIN PULLED THE TRIGGER OF THE HEAVY
 MACHINE GUN.   SOME 20 BULLETS PIERCED THE BALLOON, AND THE GONDOLA
 PLUNGED FROM 2,300 METERS AND CRASHED 8 KILOMETERS EAST OF BYAROZA,
 IN A FOREST NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KRUHLAYE.
 SOON AFTER THIS,  ANOTHER TWO BALLOONS WERE DETECTED.   THEY WERE
 ALSO WARNED BY A HELICOPTER, BUT IT DID NOT COME TO SHOOTING, SINCE
 THEIR CREWS RESPONDED TO RADIO INQUIRIES AND IDENTIFIED THEIR
 NATIONALITY BY DISPLAYING U.S. FLAGS.   THE FIRST BALLOON LANDED IN
 THE VICINITY OF ZELVA AT 1500, AND THE SECOND LANDED NEAR LUNINETS
 AT 1815, AND SERVICEMEN FROM DAWYD-HARADOX ACCOMMODATED THE CREW IN
 THEIR BARRACKS.
 (MORE) 16 SEP                     1809.026 18/13342 SEP        634.
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