REF ID:A5808f) 1 = -· 

UNITED NATIONS - _,{,,..~ ~ I 

(/' ~ --

__ -· - .. -

SECURITY 

COUNCIL 

Sir, 

;ri?str. _ _ . 

GENER.AL '' 

S/3288 

10 September 1954 

ENGLISH 

ORIGINAL: RUSSIAN 

LEITER DATED 10 SEPTEMBER 1954 FROM THE REPRESE..'tfrATIVE 

OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST R~uBLICS ADDI-IBSSED 

TO THE PRESIDEN!1 OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL 

I have the honour to transmit herewith copies of the notes of the 

Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the Government of 

the United States of 5 and 8 SepteJ!lber 1954 in c?nnexion w~th the vfolation 

by an American military aircraft of the State frontier of the USSR in the 

ar£a of Cape Ostrovnoi. 

· I would request you to have these notes circulated as official documents 

of the Security Council. 

I have the honour to be etc. 

A. Vyshinsky 

Encl: as indic~ted 

54-24642 
S/3288 

English 

Page 2 

REF ID:A58081 

SOVIN.r GOVERNMEET NCYl'E HANDED TO.THE UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR 

IN MOSCOW, MR, BOHLEN, ON 5 SEPTEMBER 1954 

The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics deems it 

necessary to inform the Government of the United States of America of the 

:following: 

According to precisely established facts, on 4 September.1954 at 19.12 hours 

Vladivostok time, a twin-engined military aircraft of the "m:?ptune" type bearing 

identification markings of the United States Air Force violated the State 

frontier of the USSR in the area of Cape Ostrovnoi, east of the Port of 

Nakhodl1:a. 

When two Soviet fighter-planes approached the American violating aircraft 

with the intention of indicating to it that it was within the boundaries of the 

USSR and of suggesting that it should inmediately leave ~he air space of the 

Soviet Union, the American aircraft opened fire on them. As a result the Soviet 

aircraft were compelled to open fire in return, and thereafter the American 

aircraft made off towards the sea. 

The Soviet Government deems it necessary to draw the United States 

Government's attention to the fact that this is not the rirst case of violation 

by .American military aircraft of the State frontier of the USSR. 

The Soviet Government e:x;presses its determined protest to the United States 

Government against this new flagrant violation of the Soviet frontier by an 

American military aircra~, insists that the persons guilty of this violation 

should be held strictly accountable, and expects the United States Government 

to take immediate steps to prohibit in future violations of the State frontier 

of the Soviet Union by .American aircraft. 

( 

• 
' 

REF ID:A58081 S/3288 

English 

Page ; 

SOVIE!' GOVERJ."'1MEN.r NOI'E ADDRESSED TO THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY 

In MOSCOW ON 6 Sl!:PTJ!:MBER.1954 

In connexion with United States Government Notes No.· 202 and No. 203 of 

6 September 1954, the Soviet Goveril!llent deems·it necessary to state the following: 

As. reported in the Soviet Government's note of 5 September, accord.i.ng to 

precisely established facts on 4 Septen1ber at 19.12 hours Vladivostolt time 

(18.12 hours local.time) an American twin-en~ined military aircraft of the 

"Neptune" type violated the State frontier of ·the USSR in the area of 

Cape Ostrovnoi, east of Port Nakhodka. When two Soviet fighter aircraft drew 

near the .Artierican aircraft with the intention of indice.t.lng to it that it was 

within the boundaries of the Soviet Union and of suggesting that it shouJ.d 

i!llm:~d.iately leave the air space of the USSR, the above~mentioned American 

aircraft QJ;:ened fire on the Soviet aircraft. In view of such a hostile, 

tmwarranted act by the .American violating aircraft towards the Soviet aircraft, 

the latter were compelled to open fire in return, after which the American 

air~raft made off towards the sea. The Sov:J.et authorities have no informa·tion 

on the further fate of the violating a:i.rcra.f't. 

The ' United States Government in.its Note No. 203 in reply to the 

above-mentioned note of the Soviet Gowrnment of 5 September without any 

fom1dation rejects the facts cited in the Soviet note of the flagrant violation 

by an aircraft of the United States Air Force of the frontier of the Soviet Union 

and the uncalled-for firing by the said aircraft on two Soviet fighters. At 

the same time, the United States Government concedes in its not;es that a. 

United States Ms.vy aircraft wa.s in the area indicated in the Soviet note on 

4 Septecber at 18.18 hours local time, which corresponds roughly to t~e time 

indicated in the Soviet Government's note. 
S/3288 

Enslish 

Page 4 

REF ID:A58081 

The United States Government is attempting to represent the matter as 

though the American military aircraft alleged to be engaged in a patrol mission 

along the Siberian coast wa.s."over the high sens", that it did not .fire on the 

Soviet aircraft and that it was attacked by them. 

The f'act is, however, that such an authc-'.!.":l.tative Government organ as the 

United States Ministry of Defence stated on 6 Coptember that the P.m.erican 

aircraft opened fire on the Soviet fighters. In ~heir statements to the Press, 

the members of the crew of the .American aircraft confirm that they fired on the 

Soviet fighters. Thus the statement that the American aircraft did not fire at 

all is not in accordance with the facts. 

Furthermore, in the United States Governmc.-it note No. 202, it is affirmed 

that the encounter between the kaerican aircraft and the Soviet fighters took 

place over the high seas, one hundred miles to the east of Vladivostok. The 

fact is, however, that the point 100 miles to the east of Vladivostok is not 

over the high seas, as affirmed in the American note, but in the territory of 

the Soviet Union. According to thu .American Press, United States Naval officials 

were obliged to admit this. 

The allegations contained in the United States Government's note are fully . refuted by the accurately established facts adduced in the Soviet Government's 

note of 5 September, and also by the above-mentioned communication from the 

United States Ministry of Defence and the statemeilts made by the crew members 

of the American aircraft. 

In giving in its note an account, ccntrary to the established facts, of the 

flight of the American airc~aft which violat~i the frontier of the USSR and 

without any cause opened fire on the Sov:l.ct E:.ircraft, the United States 

Government evaded the question of what patrol. functions the .American military 

aircraft might have been carryins out in the airspace of the Soviet Union along 

the "Siberian coast", and why it is at all necessary for Alaerican aircraft to go 

on "patrol missions" in the Vladivostok area, whlch, as everyone knows, is 

situated at a distance of about 10, 000 kj J.ometi·es from the coast of the 

United States. In this conne:don it is legitimate to ask how the Government 

of the United States of America 'tTC"'lld react if Soviet military aircraft began 

..... 

t 

' \ 

-' .. -
REF ID:A58081 

s/3288 

English 

Page 5 

to "patrol" in the neighbourhood of the national frontiers of the United States 

of .America, in the San Francisco area for example, and if they began·systematicallJ 

to violate that frontier and on encountering .American aircraft defending the front. 

opened fire on them. The Government of the United States of .Ame-.rica would 

scarcely adopt an attitude or indifference towards such an occurrence, 

The circumstances of this particular violation of the s·tate frontier of 

the UOSR in the Far East by an Anerican military aircraft, end the circumstances 

of earlier violations of the Soviet frontier by .American aircraft, leave no 

room tor doubt that such violations of the frontiers of the Soviet Union by 

.American military aircraft are connected with the fulfilment of definite 

instruc~ions by the .American military command, 

These acts by the .American military command, and in particular the violation 

oi' the national frontier of the USSR by an .American mil:t tary aircraft on 

4 September this year, are flagrant violations of the elementary standards of 

international law. They cannot be otherwise interpreted than as acts of 

provocation calculated to ag~ravate the situation in the Far East. 

In view of the above, the Soviet Government corlf'irms its note or 5 September 

and insists that the Govermnent of the United States of America take the necessary 

steps to prevent future violations of the national frontiers of the Soviet Union 

by American aircraft. 

----·