Archive case record

CIA-UAP-010, Report on Conversations with Soviet Scientists on Subject of Unidentified Flying Objects in the USSR

Date of account: 1967
Location: USSR
Source: uap_archive
Record updated: 2026-10-10

Record summary

This CIA document from August 1967 reports on conversations about UFO sightings with Soviet scientists during a US astrophysicist's trip to the USSR.

Published source text

Read the available text below. Archive transcriptions may contain OCR errors; later context is labelled separately. A recorded claim is not a finding that it happened.

Source page 1

Source text · mention only

ApprovedforRelease2026 81AUG 1967 CENTRAL NTELLIOI CONTROLLED DISSEM CONTIDXA NO DISSEM ABROAD COUNIRYUSSR REPORTNO. 19-0612/12--00 SUBJECT Report on Conversatlone Wlth Soviet DATE DISTR. 18 AUG 67 Sclentlate on Subject of Unidentifled Tlying Objecte la the ussr NO. PAGES 1522-64 REFERENCES (351) DATE OF INFO. May 1967 PLACE & DATE ACO.nSSR:May1967 THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION SOURCE US citlsen; an astruphysicist on the steff of a largo research fn- stitute. Taa information 1n this report vas extracted from a menorandum he [Thie Teport wae developed by an Air Torce (ArNin) repreeentative as-- slgred to the offlce of prcparatlon.] Thls report la an account of conversatloncl exchanges on the subject of uro' durinc the course of a one-month trip of e us sciantfet through the ussR In the apring of 1967, for the purpoee of vleiting several astro- nomfcal observetories having staff memb bers engaged In planetary research. The only sclentiste contacted during chc trip were astronomers, and 1n- quiries concerning Sovlet observatlons and 1interpreiations of uro' were a mfnor aspect of che trip. Within chese limdtatlous, en attempt was made to assees Sovlet sclentific thinking on this controveraiel topfc. + He visited V.I. Moroz, Sternberg Institute, Moscow, who wae noncomnft- tal on the wubject of uro's. The scfentfat who surved as tranalator. a radlo astronomer, m phatically stated that he knew of no slghtings of urO's in the usSR and added with a laugh that If they were only seen In the us, they must be of Sovlet origin. At the Pulkovo Observatory, Leningrad, omof the astronomere mentloned -uedo sea 3nq uay3 go epra Sujoq Kpnin Kus go biyaeun srn ous 'enerone minded on the subject. The us scfentiat's main visft vas to N.A. Kozyrey, who was very Inter- -enia uosq neu uotun) yoog e tozuan peai peu oh 'moiqoad sus uj posea lated into Ruesian) but did not accept hie concluslons. Kozyrev knew of somoislghtings in the northern part of the ussr, but seid that re- porte of such sightings are not printed in Soviet newepapers becauee they are not resarded as sclentific obaervations. (Comnent: this !a more imnginative bers of che sclentific community. Apparently some officfal sanction 1s nneded.) Kozyrev has beer 1nterested in us re porta of uro' and readily accepts thefr reality. In fact, it 1s hls Tloa e1 on enua uo sa#up8jao Kum s,Oan eua Jrys uoyuydo teuoaod eware of the negative affect of "enllghtened' scientific opfnion on INFORMATION REP C-O----D-E-N-T-I-A-L The dienn naliendhis documant limited e civiliencmployet#nd cliveduy miliay gesonnel within theintellgernte compononls aaenciet ineniead gncies ofthe U.SGovennnl diracl lissminetes to oroaniza Incudne LrollionthrplotUSCovo mission clthe originster

Source page 2

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CONTROLLED DISSEM C-O-N-PI-D-B-N-TIA-L NO DISSEMLABROAD 00-B-321/23490-67 experlence of this effect.(Commenr:Kozyrev fs a controversial figure in the Soviet sclentific community as well as internationally.Appar- ently one of his queationable observations (the activity of the central peak in the lunar crater Alphonsus) has turned out to be correct.On the other hand,it is really more accurate to say that this obaervation led to an intensive search for activity on the Moon that has produced of data,however.) 5.At the Main Astronomical Observatory,Kiev,1ittle fnterest 1s shown 1n the UFO question.I.k. Koval mentioned that he and several other as- curious, reddish object flashing through the sky that they were convinced vas neither a satellite nor a meteorite.However,their immediate in- terpretation was that this object might have been a fragment of a satel- lite or rocket returning from orbit,burning up in the atmosphere.Koval thought that UFo's had been seen in the USSR but he could not be specific as to locations and characteristics. At the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Crimea, again little interest was show.One of the astronomers,L.I. Galkin, was with the group men- tloned by Koval and confirmed the observation of a peculiar object.He the possibility that the object might have been a "saucer." At the Astrophysical Institute,Alma Ata,there was conaiderable interest. The institute includes an Atmospheric Optics Section presided over by G.S. Lifschitz. However, the initial discussion of the problem was with the director of the institue, G.M. Idlis.He too had read Menzel's book,but considered ft an adequate treatment of the subject which he consequently felt was closed.He indicated that no observations of uFo's had been made by his etaff and that they had received no reports of such observations.However,when the US scientist proceeded to indicate the results of McDonald's critical study of the problem, Idlis readily con- was "clearly atill an open question." 8.Another aotronomer mentioned that ln tha northern part of Kazakhstan o Alma At had sent a team out to fnvestigate and diucovered that what wa being scen were reflections of automoblle headligints from an inversion layer. 9.Later, a discusslon was held with Lifachitz. He was not very impressed with Monzel's book, but was aleo not impressed wfth the significance of the phenomenon.It is possible thst some interest was kindled that might lead to additional investigations. 10. A stellar spectroscopiet,Dr. NU Kupo,was also interested in thie problem, partly as an adjunct to her attempts to locate fragments from bolides.Sha vas elso diosatisfied with Menzel's book and felt that there was definitely an opportunity for additional research. 11. The general feell:ig one gets fs that no officiul treatment of the uFo work, principally Menzel's book, to demonstrate the absence of real scientific problems. At the same tiue, there ia an almost universal awareness of the history and characteriatics of the phenomenon often as- sociated with considerable interent. The reault is that a demonstration of the fnadequacy of us official explanatfons coupled with some prcof of the reality of the observations might excite entiusiasm more repidly among Soviet astronomers than amorg their us counterparts who are more strongly influenced by the officiul ridicule associated with uFo' in the us. 4 end 2

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