State Department UAP Cable 3, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 30, 2001
Agency: Department of State
Incident date: 10/28/2001-10/29/2001
Incident location: Georgia

On October 28-29, there was an incident alleged by the Georgian Foreign Ministry that Russian aircraft had violated Georgian airspace and bombed areas of the Kodori Gorge.  Russians denied any of the claims and said that it could have been UFOs.  Cable authors note that Russians typically engage in the “bold lie” when they wish to conceal actions.

COMFIDEMTIAL 
IUNCLASSI Fl ED 
CONFIDEN'flAL 
MRN: 
01 MOSCOW 13169 
Date/DTG: 
Oct 30, 2001 / 300000Z Oct 01 
From: 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
Action: 
WASHDC, SECSTATE ROUTINE 
E.0.: 
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 
cormDEl~'flAL 
PTQ6889 
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MOSCOW 13169 01 OF 02 301754Z 
ACTION 10-00 
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 
SRPP-00 DS-00 
EB-00 
EUR-00 OIG0-00 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 SWCl-00 
/018W 
------------------3782F8 301754Z /38 
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 
CO Id FIDE Id TI AL 0ECTION 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 
COldFIDEldTl1'L 
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 
IUNCLASSI Fl ED 
COMFIDEMTIAL 
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KIND 
CLASSIFIED BY POLMINCOUNS GEORGE KROL. REASON 1.5 (B/D). 
REF: (A) MOSCOW 13072 (B) TBILISI 3087 
1. J,e'f 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. ~ 
ON OCTOBER 30, DURING A PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED 
MEETING, AMBASSADOR VERSHBOW RAISED REFTEL B REPORTS 
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MOSCOW 13169 01 OF 02 301754Z 
ALLEGING RUSSIAN PLANES HAD VIOLA TED 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 PLANS WERE 
INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENTS IN GEORGIAN AIRSPACE. 
3. Jj&'J 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 HAD 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 
IUNCLASSI Fl ED 
COMFIDEMTIAL 
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COt~FIDDHIAL 
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ANYONE," TEREOKEN ADDED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT "ANY 
SIDE" HAD SENT PLANES OVER KODORI. 
4. 1,Id7 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 ABKHA2 AUTHORITIES TO MOVE 
TO RUSSIA. MEMBERS OF THE RUSSIAN GENERAL STAFF ARE IN 
eOJqflEJEM'rl>\L 
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MOSCOW 13169 01 OF 02 3017542 
SUKHUMI TO COORDINATE THESE MOVES. 
5. J,{d'f 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. WE ASKED ABOUT PLANS 
TO WITHDRAW TROOPS. 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. Ge'.) WE ASKED TEREOKEN ABOUT GEORGIAN PARLIAMENTARY 
SPEAKER 2URAB 2VANIA'S VISIT TO MOSCOW LAST WEEK. HE 
CONFIRMED THAT THE TONE OF 2VANIA'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: 2VANIA DEPARTED 
MOSCOW OCTOBER 28). ACCORDING TO GEORGIAN POLCOUNS 
CHKHEID2E, 2VANIA AND RUSSIAN DUMA SPEAKER GENNADIY 
COlfflEJElffl>\L 
eOlqflEJEIHl>\L 
PTQ6891 
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MOSCOW 13169 02 OF 02 3017542 
ACTION 10-00 
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 SWCl-00 /017W 
-----------------378300 3017542 /38 
P 3017412 OCT 01 
IU NCLASS I Fl ED 
COMFIDEMTIAL 
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COt~FIDDHIAL 
IUNCLASSI Fl ED 
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 
CO Id FIDE Id TI AL JECTION 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 
crn~FIBEN'T'IAL 
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MOSCOW 13169 02 OF 02 301754Z 
SELEZNEV AGREED THAT BOTH COUNTRIES NEEDED TO DISCUSS THEIR 
DIFFERENCES CALMLY AND WORK ON A GENERAL TREATY. 
7. -"3'J 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. -"3'J 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 CHECH ENS INSIDE GEORGIA. 
VERSHBOW 
COldFIDENTIAL 
« END OF DOCUMENT » 
Info: 
TBILISI, AMEMBASSY ROUTINE 
!UNCLASSIFIED 
COMFIDEMTIAL 
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Dissemination Rule: 
Archive Copy 
OONFIDENTIJl!cL 
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