DOS-UAP-2001, DIPLOMATIC CABLE, TBILISI, GEORGIA, OCTOBER 2001

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This is a State Department cable from the US Embassy in Moscow regarding UFO sightings in Georgia, titled 'UFOS OVER GEORGIA: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF AN MFA KIND'.

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MRN: 01 MOSCOW 13169
Date/DTG: Oct 30, 2001 / 300000Z Oct 01
From: AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
Action: WASHDC, SECSTATE ROUTINE
E.O.: Unknown
TAGS: PREL, MARR, KCFE, UN, OSCE, GG, RS
Reference: (A) MOSCOW 13072 (B) TBILISI 3087
Subject: UFOS OVER GEORGIA: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF AN MFA KIND

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INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 OIGO-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00
MOFM-05 MOF-03 M-00 AC-01 DCP-01 NRRC-00 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00
USIE-00 SA-00 BBG-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 SSD-00 PMB-00
DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00
/018W
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P 301741Z OCT 01
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1142
INFO AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BAKU
AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
USMISSION USOSCE
SECDEF WASHDC
JOINT STAFF WASHDC

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 013169

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/21
TAGS: PREL, MARR, KCFE, UN, OSCE, GG, RS
SUBJECT: UFOS OVER GEORGIA: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF AN MFA KIND
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PAGE 02 MOSCOW 13169 01 OF 02 301754Z

Declassified in Full / Release in Full
John Powers, Acting-Director
US Department of State
2/25/2026

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This document is a diplomatic cable discussing reports of Russian military aircraft violating Georgian airspace in the Kodori Gorge, which Russian officials deny, suggesting that reports of unidentified aircraft might be 'UFOS'.

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KIND
CLASSIFIED BY POLMINCOUNS GEORGE KROL. REASON 1.5 (B/D).
REF: (A) MOSCOW 13072 (B) TBILISI 3087

1. (S) SUMMARY: DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MAMEDOV TOLD
AMBASSADOR VERSHBOW OCTOBER 30 THAT ACCORDING TO THE
RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, NO RUSSIAN PLANES FLEW OVER OR
BOMBED POSITIONS IN THE KODORI GORGE OCTOBER 28-29, DESPITE
GEORGIAN ACCUSATIONS TO THE CONTRARY. MFA GEORGIA DESK
CHIEF TEREOKEN ECHOED MAMEDOV'S STATEMENT. TEREOKEN
FURTHER CONFIRMED THAT ONE RAILWAY CAR FULL OF RUSSIAN
MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT GUDAUTA BASE AND ENTERED RUSSIA
OCTOBER 29 (REF A) AND THAT TWO OTHER RAILWAY CARS ARE
LOADED AND AWAITING ABKHAZ PERMISSION TO LEAVE FOR RUSSIA.
THERE ARE NO PLANS TO WITHDRAW PERSONNEL UNTIL TBILISI
AGREES THAT APPROXIMATELY 340 RUSSIAN "GUARDS" CAN REMAIN
AT GUDAUTA. TEREOKEN SAID THAT ABKHAZ AUTHORITIES WOULD
NOT ALLOW ANY OUTSIDE OBSERVERS TO WITNESS THE WITHDRAWAL.
TEREOKEN TERMED GEORGIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER ZVANIA'S
OCTOBER 25-28 VISIT TO MOSCOW POSITIVE IN TONE BUT EMPTY OF
RESULTS. ACCORDING TO THE GEORGIAN EMBASSY, ZVANIA AND
RUSSIAN DUMA SPEAKER SELEZNEV AGREED THAT BOTH SIDES SHOULD
AVOID RECRIMINATIONS. TEREOKEN DENIED MEDIA REPORTS THAT
DEFENSE MINISTER SERGEY IVANOV WAS PLANNING TO VISIT
TBILISI SOON BUT DID NOT RULE OUT A VISIT COMPLETELY. END
SUMMARY

2. (S) ON OCTOBER 30, DURING A PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED
MEETING, AMBASSADOR VERSHBOW RAISED REFTEL B REPORTS
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ALLEGING RUSSIAN PLANES HAD VIOLATED GEORGIAN AIRSPACE AND
BOMBED AREAS OF THE KODORI GORGE. THE AMBASSADOR STRESSED
THAT SUCH INCIDENTS, IF TRUE, AND IF CONTINUED, COULD BE
DISASTROUS FOR U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS AND SPOIL THE
UPCOMING SUMMIT MEETING OF OUR PRESIDENTS IN THE U.S.
MAMEDOV AGREED THAT SUCH INCIDENTS WOULD HAVE A NEGATIVE
EFFECT ON THE SUMMIT, BUT QUOTED THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF
DEFENSE AS CATEGORICALLY DENYING THAT RUSSIAN PLANES WERE
INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENTS IN GEORGIAN AIRSPACE.

3. (S) MFA GEORGIA DESK CHIEF TEREOKEN, ECHOING MAMEDOV'S
CLAIMS, DENIED TO US OCTOBER 30 REPORTS OF RUSSIAN PLANES
BOMBING KODORI GORGE IN ABKHAZIA. HE ALSO DENIED THAT
THERE WERE ANY RUSSIAN VIOLATIONS OF GEORGIAN AIRSPACE,
SAYING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RUSSIAN PLANES FLYING NEAR
THE AREA ON EITHER OCTOBER 28 OR 29. ACCORDING TO
TEREOKEN, THERE WERE CREDIBLE REPORTS OF ABKHAZ HELICOPTERS
BOMBING THE AREAS "WHERE THE TERRORISTS WERE" BUT THAT
REPORTS OF PLANES IN THE AREA MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN ABOUT
"UFOS." MOSCOW, HE EXPLAINED, DOES NOT HAVE THE TECHNICAL
CAPABILITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE WERE FOREIGN PLANES
IN THE REGION. UNDERSCORING THAT HE "WAS NOT ACCUSING

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This document is a State Department cable regarding the withdrawal of Russian military equipment from Gudauta, Georgia, and a summary of Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Zurab Zvania's visit to Moscow.

ANYONE," TEREOKEN ADDED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT "ANY SIDE" HAD SENT PLANES OVER KODORI.

4. (S) ASKED ABOUT PLANS TO WITHDRAW FROM GUDAUTA (REF A), TEREOKEN CONFIRMED THAT ONE TRAINLOAD OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT HAD DEPARTED THE BASE AND HAD ENTERED RUSSIA THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 29. TWO MORE TRAINS HAVE BEEN LOADED AND ARE AWAITING PERMISSION FROM ABKHAZ AUTHORITIES TO MOVE TO RUSSIA. MEMBERS OF THE RUSSIAN GENERAL STAFF ARE IN
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SUKHUMI TO COORDINATE THESE MOVES.

5. (S) WE ASKED WHY OUTSIDE OBSERVERS HAD NOT BEEN INVITED TO INSPECT THE WITHDRAWALS. TEREOKEN CLAIMED THAT THE ABKHAZ AUTHORITIES LIKELY WOULD NOT TOLERATE THE PRESENCE OF OUTSIDERS GIVEN THE TENSE SITUATION WITH TBILISI. THE RUSSIANS, HE ADDED, HAD NO TIME TO INVITE OUTSIDE OBSERVERS BECAUSE "WE DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE" THAT THE WITHDRAWAL OF ONE TRAINLOAD OF EQUIPMENT WOULD PROCEED. WE ARGUED THAT MOSCOW NOW HAS TIME IF IT HAS ALREADY LOADED TWO OTHER TRAINS BUT IS WAITING FOR ABKHAZ PERMISSION TO WITHDRAW. THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY MIGHT RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GOR'S INTENTIONS, WE NOTED. TEREOKEN SAID THAT APPROXIMATELY 600 RUSSIAN PERSONNEL REMAIN AT GUDAUTA. MOSCOW CONTINUES TO INSIST ON KEEPING ABOUT 340 THERE AS "GUARDS." TBILISI, HE NOTED, CONTINUES TO WANT A MUCH LOWER FIGURE.

6. (S) WE ASKED TEREOKEN ABOUT GEORGIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER ZURAB ZVANIA'S VISIT TO MOSCOW LAST WEEK. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE TONE OF ZVANIA'S VISIT WAS POSITIVE. HE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT THE VISIT "HAD NO PRACTICAL OUTCOME." THE GEORGIAN EMBASSY TOLD US OCTOBER 26 THAT GEORGIAN ZVANIA'S VISIT WAS GOING WELL (NOTE: ZVANIA DEPARTED MOSCOW OCTOBER 28). ACCORDING TO GEORGIAN POLCOUNS CHKHEIDZE, ZVANIA AND RUSSIAN DUMA SPEAKER GENNADIY
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ACTION IO-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 EUR-00 OIGO-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00
MOFM-05 MOF-03 M-00 AC-01 NRRC-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PC-01 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00
P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
SA-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 SSD-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00
DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /017W
----------378300 301754Z /38
P 301741Z OCT 01

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This document is the second section of a cable from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow discussing diplomatic relations with Georgia, including Russian denials regarding aircraft incursions and the status of Russian troops in Gudauta.

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UNCLASSIFIED

FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1143
INFO AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BAKU
AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
USMISSION USOSCE
SECDEF WASHDC
JOINT STAFF WASHDC

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 02 OF 02 MOSCOW 013169

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/21
TAGS: PREL, MARR, KCFE, UN, OSCE, GG, RS
SUBJECT: UFOS OVER GEORGIA: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF AN MFA
KIND

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SELEZNEV AGREED THAT BOTH COUNTRIES NEEDED TO DISCUSS THEIR
DIFFERENCES CALMLY AND WORK ON A GENERAL TREATY.

7. (C) TEREOKEN DISMISSED PRESS REPORTS THAT DEFENSE
MINISTER SERGEY IVANOV HAD AGREED TO VISIT TBILISI VERY
SOON BUT NOTED HE COULD NOT ENTIRELY RULE OUT A VISIT IN
THE COMING WEEKS. HE CLAIMED THERE ARE PLANS FOR A
POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN SHEVARDNADZE AND PUTIN ON THE
MARGINS OF THE NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1 CIS SUMMIT IN MOSCOW,
BUT NOTED NOTHING IS YET CONFIRMED.

8. (C) COMMENT: IT IS HARD TO ACCEPT OFFICIAL RUSSIAN
DENIALS THAT RUSSIAN PLANES WERE NOT INVOLVED. TO POSIT
THAT THEY COULD BE UFOS WOULD BE HUMOROUS IF IT WERE NOT
FOR THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE VIOLATIONS. MOST LIKELY THE
RUSSIANS WANT TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON THE GEORGIANS AND THE
CHECHENS IN THE GORGE IN AN UNSUBTLE EFFORT TO PREVENT
THESE GROUPS' MOVEMENT TO ABKHAZIA OR TO RUSSIA. THEIR
OFFICIAL DENIALS REFLECT A TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN PENCHANT TO
AVOID AN AWKWARD ADMISSION WITH A BOLD LIE. AS FOR
GUDAUTA, THE GOR LIKELY IS USING THE CONTINUED PRESENCE OF
ITS 600 TROOPS THERE AS A BARGAINING CHIP TO TRY TO GET
CONCESSIONS FROM TBILISI ON BOTH THE BODEN PAPER ON
ABKHAZIA AND ON CLAMPING DOWN ON CHECHENS INSIDE GEORGIA.

VERSHBOW

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Info: TBILISI, AMEMBASSY ROUTINE

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