1955 USSR Missile ejection launch unconventional aircraft sighting
This CIA Information Report, prepared in the USSR foreign-intelligence collection stream, records the unevaluated eyewitness account of a 41-year-old US national — described as a publicity and advertising vice president of a large US corporation with a political-science background and no aviation training — who was visiting the Soviet Union as a tourist. At 1630 on 4 October 1955 he boarded a train at Baku bound for Tiflis with three other US nationals. Roughly two hours and forty minutes later, an estimated 50–65 miles south of Baku, the group observed a large airfield between the train and the Caspian Sea coast. A searchlight illuminated a triangular object on the ground, comparable in size to a US jet fighter, squat, in the form of an equilateral triangle, with three lights (presumed two wing lights and a tail light). The witness reported the object was ejected from a launching site 'more like a missile ejection,' made three to seven fast spirals, then climbed extremely rapidly at about a 45-degree angle to high altitude, followed by the searchlight; a companion reported it was the second such launch in rapid succession. A steward then drew the blinds, indicating an MVD man aboard had ordered it. The party had been told by Intourist in Baku there were no flights to Tiflis, though Tiflis Intourist staff expressed surprise. According to the releasing agency, a redacted version of this report has previously been available on the CIA public website. The account is expressly marked UNEVALUATED.
Description
A CIA Information Report documenting a US national's eyewitness account of a triangular aircraft with wing lights launching at a steep angle from an airfield near Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, on 4 October 1955. Released via the U.S. Department of War UAP disclosure collection.
Claims
A redacted version of this report has previously been available on the CIA's public website.
75%A US national observed a triangular, jet-fighter-sized object with three point lights launched from an airfield near Baku on 4 October 1955.
60%An MVD officer aboard the train ordered the compartment blinds drawn during the observation.
60%Intourist in Baku falsely told the party there were no flights to Tiflis, while Tiflis Intourist staff indicated several flights daily.
60%A US national observed a squat, equilateral-triangle-shaped object the size of a US jet fighter with three lights at an airfield near Baku on 4 October 1955.
60%An MVD officer aboard the train ordered a steward to draw the window blinds during the sighting.
60%The object was ejected 'more like a missile ejection,' spiraled three to seven times, then climbed rapidly at about 45 degrees to high altitude.
55%The object was ejected from a launching site in a missile-like manner, made three to seven fast spirals, then climbed steeply at about 45 degrees to high altitude.
55%A companion reported this was the second launching in rapid succession.
55%A second launch occurred in rapid succession, per a companion.
45%
Events
Oct 3, 1955
Sighting of unconventional triangular aircraft near Baku
US national aboard a train from Baku to Tiflis observed a triangular object launched from an airfield near the Caspian coast, climbing steeply after spiraling.
Oct 31, 1955
CIA Information Report prepared
CIA disseminated the unevaluated eyewitness report.
Dec 31, 2025
Public release via Department of War UAP collection
Document approved for release and posted in the war.gov UAP data release (release 3).
Oct 31, 1955
CIA Information Report distribution
CIA prepared and disseminated the information report on the sighting.
Jun 11, 2026
Public release by Department of War
File released as part of a UAP records disclosure.
Dates mentioned
Keywords
Entities
Organizations
People
Extracted text (OCR)
- Approved for Release 2 0 26 ----- · SEE BOTTOM OF PAc;i ·roR ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CONTROLS, lF ANY S-E•e-B B 4' Thia mcii~~ ~ ·'-1otaatlon aHec:lhig th• ~ a tional Defense ol the United StalH ,irithln Ille meanillg ol lhe Espionage Laws, Tille 18, U.S. C. _ _ _ _ _ _ _, Secs. 793 a nd 794, the transmission or ren lat1oa INFO~MATION REPORT .._P_R_E_P_A_R_E_D_A __ ND_D _IS_S_E_M_I_N_A_T_E_D_B_Y_ _ _ _ __ of which ID any manner to an unauthorized pe r• CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY aon la prohiblled by law. REPORT NO. COU NTRY USSR 00- 13 - ')02.20 DATE DISTRIBUTED SUBJECT Sighting ot Unconventional Aircraft NU . UI- ENCLS. NO . OF PAGES ! ' i ' SUPPLE M Eh T TO REPORT 11 RESPO NSIVE TO PLACE ACQUI RED /Br aourceJ Azerbaijan SSR 1----- - --~------------------1 OAT£ Of dales, on or .be lween w hich, DATE ACQU I RED /Br •ourceJ 4 Oct 55 OF I NFORM ATION (Dale e veaa oz condiliom de.sc,i.bed la report exialedJ 4 Oct 55 THI S IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATI ON souRcE US national, 41 years old, publicity and advertising vice president o:f' large US corporation. His Mjor education was in the field ot political sci~nce (Phi B~ta Kappa), and he has lectured extensively on current affairs . He has had no technical training or experience in aviation matters . He recently visited the USSR as a tourist at the invitation of a senior Soviet official. At 1630, 4 Oct 55, I boarded a train at Baku for Tiflis in the company ot l. three other US nationals, one of whom shared a Wagon-Lit compartment with . me; the other two occupied the ad.Joining compartment. The train ran very slowly, making evffY stop; I vould estimate its overall speed. at 20 Jll.l)h. Exactly tvo hours and forty minutes out of Baku, one ot our group in the compartment next door entered my compartment and said, "Did you see that out theret I just saw a ny1ng saucer o " I and my compartment companion vere about to laugh it off wen the man from next door pointed out ot the window again, and then we all saw the following sight . On the letthand side ot the traill, between the train and the Caspian Sea coast, was a large air field o The evening we.a dark but clear o A huge 2. 1earc:hlir,ht 1 on the tield itselt, shar,e on a triangular obJect on the ground wich :i: would say was probably not more than tvo miles distant from the railroad . [collector ' s comment i Source first estimated that the air field was about five miles away but, on further reflection, chansed the distance to the obJect to two mi.l.es;J i'b.e eize ot the object was comparable to that ot a US Jet tighter, vith a squat shape and in the form of an equilateral tmngle . There were three lights on the obJect, one on each point of the triazigle, presumably two wing lights and a tail light. As we watched, it was eJected from its launching site, mak1ng not less than three anti not :more than seven fast spirals in the air, a:tter which it cl.im'bed extremely tut at about a 45 degree angle o We watched ·- it climb and saw it reach a high altitude; the •earchlight followed it all the way. I wish to ~haaize that this was no ordinary take-of'f but a launching procedure more like a m.ssile eJection. OUr companion from next door reported that this was the second launchil:Jg in rapid succession. 4. I believe that the train at the time of the ai&}lting vu 'betveen 50 and 65 miles south ot Baku. Thet!Cupian Sea vu still visible. While the fo~_..Q:C. ua were still watching the obJect asceruJ1ns, _!he steward ~ - - - - i -rn and pulled d ~ e bllnO:s o When I bepn to protest, the •tetard ---Jio"fii~etr""toward the rear ot the car and shook his head, 1D41c:ating to me that the MVD man who had boarded the train at the moaent ot departure had ordered the blinds drawn o : i l! . ..,., ' DISTRIBUTION STATE NOFOBN AR MY NAVY <._ FBI ffO DlSSEM ABROAD . UMITED: Dinemfnation limited to full•lime employees o/ CIA, AEC and FBI; and, "'" hln Slate and Defe nse, lo the intelligence components, other 1s. Not to be disse minated to consultants, externa l p ro/ects offic:.s producing NIS eleme nts. and .higher echelons with their Immediate s uppor ting or reser-re personnel oa short term a ctive duty (excep ting indi viduals who ar e n ormuuy tull-Ume employees ol CIA. AEC. FBI, Sta le or Defense) unlu.s the wrUlen permission of I.he odqinatinq olllce has been obtained through the A.ssislanl Director for Collecllon a nd Dl.s:semlnalfon, CIA, ..... 5. our party ha4 wished to make this part of the Journey by air, but we were intormed by DTOURIST in Baku that there were no flights between Baku and Tiflis . In Tiflis the Ill'l'OURIST people were surprised that our party had not tlo"Wll and said that there were several flights a clay. - end - !,
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