ATIC Document 123879, Russia

This document, identified as ATIC Document 123879, provides an intelligence assessment of unusual optical phenomena observed in northern Russia between November 1952 and February 1953. The report details three specific instances of sightings. The first occurred on the nights of November 19 and 20, and again on December 8 and 12, 1952, where lights were observed changing color from red to white to green, moving in an elliptical course. In one instance, an object was seen ascending into the air, centered within vertically directed light beams, before the beams vanished and the object remained in the air, emitting light signals. The second sighting, on December 6, 1952, involved a cigar-shaped object moving at tremendous speed from a northeasterly direction toward observers while ascending. The third sighting, which is the subject of a detailed field report form, occurred on February 20, 1953, between 1920 and 1950 hours. A civilian witness observed a lighted object for 30 minutes. The object was described as moving slowly southward, rapidly ascending and descending, and changing shape from round to cigar-shaped. Its light shifted from red to green, and it covered approximately 100 degrees of arc during the observation period. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that these sightings were likely the result of Soviet balloon activity, while suggesting that the second sighting might be attributable to the Taurid or Geminia meteor showers.