Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency abstract, dated 10 December 1967, summarizes an article from Sovetskaya Latviya by R. Vitolniyek, director of a Latvian station for radio observation of the ionosphere and artificial satellites. The article covers reports of luminous objects, including a recent sighting over Lepaya, and radar tracks that match no known object. It calls luminescent plasma formations similar to ball lightning the most probable explanation and says the extraterrestrial hypothesis is doubtful. The Latvian Academy of Sciences asks witnesses to report their sightings.
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AUTHOR: Vitolniyek, R. (Director) OKC: nona TITLE: Flying phenomena [UFO's] SOURCE: Sovetskaya Latviya, no. 287, 10. Dec 67, p. 3, cols. 1-3 TOPIC TAGS: unidentified flying object, optics ABSTRACT: The director of the Station for the Radio Observation of the Ionosphere and Artificial Earth Satellites R. Vitolniyek reports that recently there are more and more reports in the Soviet and foreign press of strange luminescent objects in the form of balloons and convex discs being observed in the sky. As yet, it is impossible to give a definite answer as to the nature of those phenomena. While some have already been explained, the radar observations have sometimes showed objects in the form of an ideal circle tens of kilometers high that could not be compared with any known object, such as sputniks, meteorological rockets, etc. "Flying saucers" have also appeared many times over the territory of the USSR, and quite recently in Lepaya. Eye-witness reports suggest that it was not a mirage, but an actual "flying saucer." According to 7-（b）（3） ## (6)(3) estrophysicists, such an object would be of gigantic size with a ball-like core in the center. The object changes color from red to blue, apparently according to its altitude. Its surface is dull (pearly) rather than brilliant. Inasmuch as the body of the UFO is often darker than the surrounding medium, it may be concluded that it is capable, in a certain stage of evolution, of absorbing electromagnetic waves of various lengths which fall on its surface. As a result, under favorable conditions, the object can become practically invisible. When discussing the origin of the UFO a very important point is often forgotten. Invariably, the flying object is tracked by radar, and it is possible that this could lead to false reports of missile attacks. Therefore, to avoid errors when tracking a flying object, its properties must be known. According to many specialists, the most probable theory is that UFO's are luminescent plasma formations of colossal size, similar to ball lighting. This assumption makes it possible to explain most of their properties, including the cause of their appearance precisely over large cities where the air is saturated with electromagnetic radiation. Regarding hypotheses of UFO's being messengers from other planets, this is still very doubtful, although there is no weighty reason to discard them categorically. At any rate, a thorough research is indicated. That [ ] (A) (B) (b)(3) In why the Radionstrophysienl Laboratory of the Latvian Academy of Sciences request that all persons witnessing UFO phenomena report their observations to that center. ( b ) ( 3 )
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 1 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.