Russia has been probing alien encounters, abductions for decades
What's the story
Legendary journalist George Knapp has released a trove of documents smuggled out of Russia 30 years ago. The documents detail Soviet investigations into thousands of reports of extraterrestrial craft and encounters with aliens. Despite the communist government's official stance in 1953 that UFOs were a fabrication by "American imperialists," the USSR had commissioned several studies on UFOs starting from the "Network-AN" program in 1979.
Investigation
UFO sightings and interactions increased after 1978
The documents reveal that UFO sightings and interactions "increased greatly" after 1978. They include accounts of alleged UFO abductees and witnesses, some of whom were deemed credible enough for further investigation. One such case is from February 13, 1989, when hundreds witnessed a massive jellyfish-shaped UFO in Nalchik. The incident involved military personnel, local airport staff, and astronomers as witnesses.
Abduction accounts
Abduction to an alien planet
Another account is of Anatoly Malishev, who claimed he was abducted on July 21, 1975. He described being taken to an alien planet three light years away and examined by humanoids. The documents also mention an encounter with giant aliens on June 27, 1979, in Derzhavinsk, Kazakhstan. Children camping near a mound reported seeing 10-foot-tall aliens with pink eyes.
Continued scrutiny
Reignited interest in extraterrestrial life
The documents do not draw any definitive conclusions about UFOs but suggest they warrant further study. Jeremy Corbell, an investigative journalist and Knapp's "Weaponized" podcast partner, said releasing these documents expands the public record on how seriously Russia confronted the UFO phenomenon. The release of these documents has reignited public interest in extraterrestrial life and government investigations into such phenomena.