We have looked at Russia’s UFO files on several occasions, and from a number of different angles. We know, for example, that during the years of the Cold War, authorities would very much monitor and investigate UFO sightings, all while telling their own people that they were merely the results of weapons tests of the “evil United States and the West”.

One angle we haven’t examined in any particular detail are the claims of underwater UFOs, many of which would come to light through the research of Paul Stonehill, who is a Soviet-born researcher of all unusual phenomena, including UFOs (he is the director of the Russian UFOlogy Research Center). The collection of notes, files, and quotes from lectures and talks from which he was in attendance or from which he draws his research is extensive and, ultimately, invaluable. Particularly because, in Stonehill’s own words, “the (Soviet Navy) files have been largely inaccessible, even after the fall of the USSR”.

What follows, then, are “piece” accounts, partial records, and other encounters of an apparent otherworldly nature from behind the Iron Curtain, lest one day, further files or investigations provide more details to some of them, and ultimately, a fuller picture.

Early Underwater Sightings Of The Cold War!

There are numerous of the aforementioned partial sightings on record. The kind that are merely “eluded” to as opposed to being acknowledged outright. For example, untold technicians onboard Soviet submarines would regularly receive “strange targets” on their sonar machines. As regular as the apparent “chases” that played out under the waves, with that giving chase often recorded as “other submarines” despite them being much faster than any known underwater vessel and performing maneuvers that a submarine simply couldn’t action. Lieutenant-Commander Oleg Sokolov is perhaps one of the few high-ranking officers to publicly speak of such an experience. He would inform several of his students of witnessing an “underwater take-off” while on board a submarine in the early-1960s.

There are similar such disclosures of information through discreet conversations. Professor Korsakov from Odessa University would recall such a conversation with a Soviet Navy officer, a long-time friend of his. According to the officer in the question, at some time in the 1950s, while stationed on a battlecruiser, a UFO approached them from behind, surfacing from under the waters of the Black Sea. The officer also passed a photograph of the object to Korsakov which is still in his possession.

A similar incident unfolded in August 1965 in the Red Sea. The steamship RADUGA would report a “fiery sphere” that emerged with great speed from the water before hovering at an altitude of approximately 150 meters. The surface of the water below was illuminated by the sphere’s bright glow. The most fascinating sight, however, was that of a “gigantic pillar of water” that followed the sphere’s ascent for several seconds before falling away.

Underwater Humanoid Entities

Another Soviet aquatic sighting occurred in December 1977 near Novy Georgy Island. A fishing trawler, the VASILY KISELEV was making its way through the icy waters when a “doughnut-shaped” object rose from out of the sea. They would estimate it to be around 500 meters across and would eventually settle at an altitude of around 15,000 feet. As soon as the object emerged all of the radar and sonar equipment on board the trawler failed. All of the crew would witness the incident. The object hovered above them for around three hours before vanishing suddenly and at great speed.

A witness known as “B. Borovikov”, a regular shark-hunter in the Black Sea has an incident not just with UFOs, but with what appeared to be an underwater alien lifeform. While diving in the Anapa area, at a distance of around eight meters, he witnessed several huge entities heading towards him from the murky depths below. These entities had “fish-tales” and were “milky-white” but with humanoid faces. When one of these bizarre creatures stopped to stare at Borovikov, he noticed the “giant bulging eyes”.

Even pre-Soviet sightings from the days of the Russian empire can be found within the pages of now released files. Or even discreetly tucked away in the pages of an otherwise “endorsed” book of the Soviet Union. One such book is perhaps the early-1970s ‘Enigmas of Ancient History’ by Soviet historian A. Gorbovsky. This book touches on the subject of paleocontact, the Russian term associated with the ancient astronaut theory. It talks of an ancient account from the Mediterranean of people witnessing a “strange underwater vehicle surfacing at high speed”. Interestingly enough, thousands of years later in the early-1980s, another very similar sighting occurred in the same stretch of water.

The “Upside Down Frying Pan” Sighted By Alexander Globa

In June 1984, seaman, Alexander Globa, was aboard the GORI, a Soviet tanker in the Mediterranean Sea. He would report, one evening around 4pm, he witnessed an object hovering over the water that appeared to be the shape of “an upside-down frying pan”. With him was his Second-in-Command, “S. Bolotov”. They both witnessed the strange and anomalous craft.

As the craft came closer to their location, Globa managed to obtain a more detailed look. He would describe the top of the craft as flat, but the bottom section consisted of “two separate circles”, each rotating in the opposite direction to the other. Might this suggest some kind of anti-gravity propulsion system?

Although it was still very much daylight, the vast array of lights on display underneath the craft was very evident. The pair would attempt to attract the craft’s attention by using the on-board signal projector. However, instead of responding, the craft instead began to rise into the air. Within seconds, it was gone.

Unbelievably, there was a corroborative report of the incident. An Arab cargo ship also reported the sighting as it made its way to Greece. A number of sailors would report that the object hovered over the ship. Suddenly, the object would alter its position and then rise into the sky. There was a sudden spark, and then it was gone.

The 1936 Maria Incident

In fact, one of the earliest detailed nautical encounters involving Soviet vessels occurred in 1936. And it comes to us thanks to the discreet note taking of engineer, Lev Popov, as well as the files of Felix Zigel and Anton Anfalov, from which Popov would quote in relaying his information. A Russian transport steam vessel, the “Maria” had set off from Leningrad to cross the Pacific Ocean. The journey was uneventful and went according to plan. That was until one morning when the captain noticed a strange craft ahead of them. One that had emerged from the waters itself.

The Captain would attempt to communicate with the mystery craft via radio signal. However, all efforts would go without reward. The crew monitored the vessel for some time. No signs of any activity could be seen so a small boat with five sailors set out from the Maria to investigate. As the rest of the crew watched from the deck of the Maria, the five sailors rowed the boat towards their target. However, before it could arrive, the strange craft began to move away. And it did so at tremendous speed eventually vanishing into a nearby cloud. The crew would spend several hours trying to locate it and the missing sailors but to no avail. The ship would continue on its predetermined route.

They would complete their journey in good time. However, when they approached the same location on their return journey, another bizarre encounter occurred.

The Equally Bizarre Return Journey

The Captain had ordered that the Maria would retrace the journey on the way back, including their slight detour. It was his hope that they might encounter the strange craft again, as well as his missing sailors. And he wasn’t to be disappointed.

Almost in the same location as the previous sighting, although the object was this time much closer, was a “strange boat”. In fact, it was of a kind that none of the crew or the Captain of the Maria had ever seen. It appeared to be made from a “transparent material”. Inside the strange craft were three of the five missing crew from the investigation mission. Even more bizarre, when the Maria approached so as to gather in their three recovered crew, one of the sailors began to scream hysterically. He then jumped from the craft and into the waters. His body wouldn’t surface again. The remaining two sailors came on board the Maria. After coming to their senses, they relayed their account.

As they had neared the strange craft in their rowing boat they were suddenly on board. Inside were “strange entities” in “dark shiny suits”. The two would liken their appearance to frogmen (sea divers) although still humanoid. These strange creatures spoke to the crew, although they did so directly into their minds. Of course, we know that telepathic communication is a regular detail that surfaces in a large number of extraterrestrial encounters.

According to the two remaining sailors, these strange creatures would inform “there was no way back” and that they should stay with them. Two of the men agreed straight away. They were then led away.

Floating On The Pacific In A Transparent Boat!

The two sailors had no idea where they went or what happened to them. They, and the sailor who jumped to his watery death shortly before would go to an “isolated room”. They would estimate they were inside this room for two days.

The next thing they knew, the three of them were inside the transparent boat floating on the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, inside the craft with them was a supply of strange tablets in transparent packets. These, the sailors recalled, were food. The creatures had also offered the men these at some point on board the craft. According to them, one tablet would be enough to stave off hunger for a day. While each of the sailors on board had taken one of the tablets, the man who would eventually jump from the boat had refused. While the two nourished sailors managed to sleep and rest, the other sailor’s mind began to deteriorate. So much so, he eventually threw all of the tablets overboard.

This last action happened the previous day before the Maria eventually made her way to the stranded men. Even stranger, shortly after the men were back on board the Maria, strange waves began to circulate around the transparent boat. These waves would surround the craft, eventually pulling it down under the water.

A Deep, Dark Desire For Absolute Secrecy!

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this case, and indeed a detail that sums up the stance towards such strange activity in the Soviet Union, was the treatment of the two survivors and the Captain himself upon returning to Leningrad. As was standard practice for any “incidents”, the captain of the Maria would forward a report to the Ministry. Quickly following both he and the two sailors were to immediately appear before their superiors. Once there, the questions were more akin to an interrogation.

One of the men, the investigation said, was “psychotic”. Upon learning this, perhaps in defense of his colleague or perhaps fearing the same label would be placed on him, the other sailor would refuse to cooperate any further with the investigation.

As for the captain of the Maria, he would maintain that every word was accurate and truthful. He would point to the vessel’s log and his journal as to the accuracy of the record-keeping and documenting of the incident. Eventually, with his superiors and high-ranking officials equally steadfast in their stance, the captain would relent. Even more, he would state that the incident never happened. Shortly after, and extremely quietly, was his transfer to another, much lower key vessel.

Just what happened in the Pacific in 1936, and indeed in other waters in and around the Soviet Union during its reign is open to debate. The one consistency among them is the deep, dark desire for absolute secrecy by “the state”.

Check out the video below. It features Paul Stonehill speaking of the many examples of UFO activity in the Soviet Union.