Russia: Multiple UFOs, Pilot Intercept, Radar Alert
Unidentified objects appeared over wide Russian areas from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, prompting radar alerts and an interceptor flight. Pilot tracked flashing object that evaded challenges; reports included red spheres and large disc.
[Dolan Vol.2 enrichment]: Dolan provides the definitive account: The March 21, 1990 Soviet mass sighting is the 'greatest Soviet UFO sighting of the year.' Objects seen across 10+ towns east of Moscow between 8 PM and midnight. Col. Semyonchenko scrambled at 9:38 PM, approached to 500m, UFO played cat-and-mouse — disappearing and reappearing behind his jet. Capt. Birin: 'flying saucer with two bright lights, 100-200m diameter, porthole.' Capt. Ivchenko: 'two lights with definite periodicity, S-turn flight.' Capt. Filatov: lights 'merged and divided, S-turn horizontally and vertically.' Gen. Maltsev (Chief Soviet Air Defense): disc 100-200m, S-turn capability, exceeded jet speed 2-3x, 'completely devoid of inertia, had come to terms with gravity.' Deputy Min. Tretyak: refrained from attacking due to 'formidable capacity for retaliation.' Over 100 visual observations, 2 military photographs. CIA FBIS translation distributed to JCS, FBI, Navy.
Background
Overview
On March 21, 1990, between 20:00 and 24:00, unidentified flying objects were observed over various regions of Russia, including Novoselye, Sergiyev Posad, Yakovlevo, Dubki, Kablukovo, Fryazino, Khabarovsk, and Kirzhach. Radar stations and aircraft were alerted.
Specific Sighting and Pursuit
At 21:38 an object was sighted at 6,500 feet over Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl Oblast. Lt. Col. A. A. Semenchenko took off in an interceptor. At 22:05 he spotted it ahead and to the right and acquired it on his airborne radar. The object showed two white flashes, changed speed and altitude, and did not respond to radio calls. The pilot turned sharply, flew 1,600–1,900 feet above it, and made out only an indistinct shape.
Further Observations
At Khabarovsk, witnesses saw glowing red spheres manoeuvring silently over the frozen Amur River, and a black cigar-shaped object 160 feet long with red exhaust flying low; radar did not detect it. Air defence commanders near Moscow collected more than 100 sightings, which were passed to Gen. Col. Igor Maltsev. He described a disc 325–650 feet in diameter with two flashing lights, rotating about its axis and flying in a serpentine path.
Significance
The event demonstrates a military response to a large-scale UAP incident with both radar and visual data.