Unidentified flying object

This document is an intelligence abstract summarizing an article by F. Zigel, a Doctor of Technical Sciences and Assistant Professor, published in 'Soviet Life' (No. 2, 1968). The abstract details a significant shift in the Soviet scientific community's approach to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). Zigel, representing the Moscow Aviation Institute, argues against the prevailing theory—attributed to U.S. astrophysicist Kenzel—that UFOs are merely optical phenomena in the earth's atmosphere. He asserts that the previous dismissal of UFOs as fantasies is changing. The document reports that in May 1967, a group of scientists, military personnel, and public figures convened to initiate a preliminary scientific investigation into UFOs. This led to the establishment of the 'UFO Section' of the All-Union Cosmonautics Committee in October 1967, headquartered at the Central House of Aviation and Cosmonautics in Moscow, with Air Force Major General Porfiri Stolyarov serving as chairman. Furthermore, the document mentions that the Nauka Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences scheduled the publication of a book titled 'Populated Outer Space,' edited by Academician Boris Konstantinov, which includes contributions from both Soviet and foreign experts. Regarding the nature of the phenomena, the document states that observations suggest UFOs behave 'sensibly.' They are reported to maintain patterns in group formations and are frequently observed near sensitive locations such as airfields and atomic stations. The author notes that these objects consistently maneuver to avoid direct contact with aircraft, leading to the impression that they are conducting investigations or reconnaissance. The document concludes with a rhetorical question regarding the correlation between the frequency of UFO observations and the proximity of Mars to Earth.