Sighting Report: Incident of August 2, 1946, near Junosuando

On August 2, 1946, at approximately 12:35, an individual identified as Lantto, a former volunteer at Ing. 3, was working on a road construction project between Junosuando and Nuoksujärvi alongside two other workers, Hjalmar Katajamaa and Sigurd Larsson. During the work, Larsson alerted the others to an approaching aircraft. While Lantto did not initially see an object, he heard a 'thundering' sound. Shortly thereafter, he observed an object moving at high speed from the southwest toward the northeast. The object was initially estimated to be one kilometer away at an altitude of approximately 500 meters. As it passed over or near the northern side of Lake Nuoksujärvi, the object banked to the left and began a descent toward the ground. Lantto observed the object against the backdrop of the southeastern end of Puornuvaara mountain, noting that it appeared to descend into the mountain. At the last moment of observation, the object was approximately 50 meters above the ground. Lantto described the object as dark and cigar-shaped, moving with its pointed end forward, and estimated its length to be two to three meters. The total duration of the observation was 20 to 30 seconds, with the object being in view for approximately 10 seconds. After losing sight of the object, the sound ceased immediately. Lantto reported no signs of impact, such as smoke or debris, despite specifically listening for such indicators. He immediately noted the time and instructed his colleagues to listen for any potential impact sounds.