Dagestan UFO May Have Been Russian Drone

This intelligence report, issued by FBIS on November 15, 1998, details a sighting of an unidentified flying object by Russian border guards in the Dagestan region. According to a report by Andrey Viktorov, personnel from the Derbent border guard detachment, specifically those stationed near the settlements of Kazmalyar and Novyy Filya, observed a mysterious object at 145 hours on November 14, 1998. The witnesses described the object as having three glowing lights and measuring approximately two meters across. It was observed moving swiftly at an altitude of 100 meters for several minutes before disappearing over the mountains and subsequently over the Caspian Sea on a 10-degree course. The incident was treated with seriousness by the Federal Border Service and reported to the local Internal Affairs Ministry. However, the report notes that the local police were skeptical, with one official suggesting that authorities should focus on terrestrial matters. Among military circles, there were persistent rumors that the object was not extraterrestrial in nature, but rather a military satellite descending from orbit.