Report on Conversations With Soviet Scientists on Subject of Unidentified Flying Objects in the USSR

This intelligence report, dated August 13, 1967, details the findings of a US scientist who spent one month in the USSR visiting various scientific institutions. The primary purpose of the trip was to engage in planetary research, but the scientist also used the opportunity to gauge Soviet scientific perspectives on Unidentified Flying Objects. The report notes that UAP inquiries were a minor aspect of the trip. The scientist visited V.I. Moroz at the Sternberg Institute in Moscow, who remained noncommittal and stated he was unaware of any UAP sightings in the Soviet Union, adding that such reports were only seen in the United States. At the Pulkovo Observatory in Leningrad, the scientist spoke with an individual who had heard of UAP sightings but remained open-minded about the phenomenon. Finally, the scientist met with N.A. Kozyrev, who expressed significant interest in the subject. Kozyrev was familiar with the work of Menzel but disagreed with his conclusions. Kozyrev noted that while he had read reports of sightings in Soviet newspapers, he was skeptical of the media's role in promoting these stories, suggesting that the press was interested in sensationalizing hypotheses and observations. Kozyrev personally held the opinion that UAPs might originate from Venus and expressed concern regarding the negative impact of 'enlightened' scientific opinion on the interpretation of questionable observations.