Unidentified flying object

This document, authored by F. Zigel, a Doctor of Technical Sciences and Assistant Professor, provides an overview of the changing climate regarding UFO research within the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. The text notes that previously, the prevailing view in the USSR—supported by U.S. astrophysicist Menzel—was that UFOs were merely optical phenomena. However, this perspective was shifting by 1968. The document details the establishment of a UFO section under 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. The author describes the hypothesis that UFOs are extraterrestrial craft, noting that they exhibit 'sensible' behavior, such as flying in group formations and maneuvering to avoid direct contact. The document also references the Tunguska event, citing studies by researchers Vladimir Hekhedov and Alexei Zoletav, which argue that the event was not caused by a meteorite but potentially by an artificial craft. The author emphasizes the need for a calm, scientific, and international approach to studying these phenomena, suggesting that the implications of confirming the extraterrestrial origin of UFOs would be profound.