Russia: Deputy Minister confirms UFO encounters
Soviet Deputy Minister of Defense Ivan Tretyak confirmed that fighter pilots encountered unidentified objects in Russian airspace. Most cases were natural or man-made, but some appeared artificial with unknown origins.
[Dolan Vol.2 enrichment]: Dolan Vol.2 provides Tretyak's full statement: On November 9, 1990, Soviet Deputy Minister of Defense Ivan Tretyak speaks with Literaturnaya Gazeta, a large weekly newspaper. His credentials are impressive — Commander in Chief of Air Defense Forces, General of the Army, and the boss of General Igor Maltsev who investigated the March 21, 1990 UFO encounter. Tretyak confirms fighter-interceptors had encountered UFOs in Soviet air space. The 'unidentified flying machine' of March 21 was photographed by interceptor pilots and gave off optical and thermal signals, although it had some 'stealth-like' capacity that blocked airborne radar. 'It was definitely not an airplane,' Tretyak says. He openly states some UFOs were 'real' and at one point seems to consider an extraterrestrial explanation. Elsewhere he hedges: 'I believe something else. That modern science and technology are capable of creating such spacecraft that could appear above us... You have to believe in man's ingenuity.' He gives a 'very curious answer' as to why no order was given to shoot down the March 21 object: 'It would be foolhardy to launch an unprovoked attack against an object that may possess formidable capacities for retaliation.'
Background
Background
On November 9, 1990, the Soviet deputy defence minister Ivan Tretyak spoke to a journalist from the newspaper Literaturnaya Gazeta. He disclosed official details of encounters between fighter aircraft and unidentified flying objects in Soviet airspace.
Encounters and Explanations
Tretyak stated that the Soviet air forces had recorded such incidents. Many observations could be identified as natural phenomena or as launches of rockets or satellites. Even so, pilots reported objects showing signs of artificial construction whose true nature remained unresolved.
Witnesses and Evidence
As a senior military figure, Tretyak provided the confirmation on the basis of pilot reports. The statement was documented in a CIA report of January 5, 1991 drawn from foreign press sources. No specific aircraft types or precise locations were named.
Significance
This rare official acknowledgement by a Soviet ministry points to continuing military UFO sightings despite attempts at explanation. It highlights the gaps in understanding of some cases and contributes to the debate about unconventional airspace violations.