The Voronezh Incident is one of the most significant UFO reports in Russia, dating back to the Soviet Union era. In broad daylight, a massive UFO landed before numerous witnesses, leaving an indelible mark on UFO history.
The Soviet Union, stretching from the Baltic and Black Seas to the Pacific Ocean, existed until 1991. For much of this period, the press was strictly controlled by the state, preventing UFO reports from reaching the public. However, with Mikhail Gorbachev’s rise to power in 1985 and the implementation of Glasnost—a political transparency program—previously classified information began to surface. Within this context, in 1989, the Voronezh case gained widespread attention.
Voronezh, the capital of the region with the same name, is strategically located in the heart of European Russia, along the Voronezh River. The city is a financial and educational hub, home to around 40 higher education institutions, aerospace equipment industries, aircraft manufacturers, and research laboratories. It was within this setting that one of the most intriguing UFO events in Soviet history took place.
On the afternoon of September 27, 1989, around 6:30 PM, the residents of Voronezh were astonished by an incredible phenomenon. A flying object, initially pink and later turning red, appeared in the sky, performing impossible maneuvers over Yuzhny Park.
The craft, approximately 12 meters in diameter, gradually descended until it hovered 10 meters above the ground. At first, it vanished suddenly, only to reappear minutes later, landing smoothly on a grassy area, where it was witnessed by four young people playing soccer. The object was circular in shape and rested on four supports.
From inside the craft, humanoid figures around 2.7 meters tall emerged. They had three eyes, wore shiny metallic suits, and had bronze-colored boots. Each carried a disc on their chest that emitted beams of light. Reports describe their movements as heavy and imposing.
At first, only one entity exited the craft, but it soon returned, bringing two more similar beings and a small square-shaped automaton, which seemed to follow their commands.
Ignoring the onlookers, the humanoids began a detailed examination of the terrain. One collected soil and vegetation samples, while another fired beams of light at the ground. Their presence terrified one of the boys, Vasya Surin, who screamed in fear. At that moment, one of the humanoids cast a glowing gaze upon him, instantly paralyzing him. Shortly after, the beings and the small robot returned to the craft and departed, and Vasya regained his mobility.
The incident became even stranger when, about five minutes after the UFO’s departure, the object reappeared. One of the beings emerged holding a 50 cm tube, pointing it at a 16-year-old boy, who vanished before his friends' eyes. Terrified, the witnesses watched as the being returned to the craft, which then took off. Inexplicably, the teenager reappeared moments later, completely unharmed.
The incident quickly drew the attention of the media and scientists. An investigative team led by Mikhail Bas found landing marks, depressions in the soil, and high radiation levels, including traces of the Cesium-133 isotope.
Physics professor Stanislav Kadmensky from Voronezh University stated:
“I cannot believe that so many people—adults, children, and young people—were all victims of a collective hallucination. More than a hundred witnesses described the same details. Whatever landed there was not of this world.”
The case was initially reported by the TASS (Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union) and later gained international coverage in newspapers like The New York Times and The Guardian.
The Voronezh Incident was not an isolated event. Reports of similar UFOs emerged from the same region and other parts of the Soviet Union in September 1989. Journalist Mikhail Bas discovered a comparable case involving Igor Yadigin, an aircraft mechanic who saw a UFO land at the local airport.
Another intriguing case took place in Peru in 1960, involving Montenegrin Vlado Kapetanovic, who reported seeing beings known as "Apunians" disintegrate a dying boy and reintegrate him completely healed. This phenomenon was also observed in Voronezh, reinforcing the possibility of an unknown alien technology.
The Voronezh case remains one of the most intriguing in UFO history. Investigations revealed physical evidence and consistent eyewitness accounts, yet many questions remain unanswered. Was this truly an encounter with beings from another world? Or an unexplained phenomenon beyond our current scientific understanding?
Regardless of the answer, the Voronezh Incident continues to challenge our perception of reality and stands as one of Russia’s most significant UFO events.
