“If this KGB file is real, then this is an extremely dangerous case.” — Anonymous official comment in a CIA declassified file

Under the shadow of the Cold War, a military exercise suddenly turned into a real-life sci-fi horror film. In the late 1980s, during a secret military exercise, 23 Soviet soldiers turned into stone pillars in just a few seconds. That’s right, you didn’t misread—it was petrification—like the Greek myth of Medusa, except this time the “culprit” might have been visitors from outer space.

This incident is almost unheard of in Asia, but in European and American UFO circles, it has a specific name: “The Siberian Petrification Incident.” The source of this story comes from a declassified document uploaded to the CIA’s official website—file number DOC_0005517761.

What exactly happened?

According to this declassified CIA document (originally sourced from reports in Canada’s World News Weekly and Ukraine’s Holos Ukrayiny newspaper), between 1989 and 1990, a Soviet unit was conducting training exercises at a military base in Siberia.

Suddenly, a disc-shaped UFO flew low over the exercise area. For some reason—whether panic or misjudgment—soldiers fired a surface-to-air missile at the unidentified craft, and it hit.

The terrifying chain reaction

After the UFO crashed, five small humanoid beings emerged from the wreckage. Their characteristics: large heads, big black eyes, about 1 meter tall—almost identical to the “Grey aliens” described in many UFO sighting reports.

But the strangest thing happened at that moment:

These five alien beings merged together, forming a glowing sphere that emitted a loud buzzing sound. Then, this sphere suddenly burst forth with an extremely dazzling bright light—not an ordinary explosion, but a bizarre release of energy.

After the intense light faded, all 23 Soviet soldiers at the scene had turned into stone pillars.

| 📍 Soviet Union (location undisclosed) | 📅 1980s | 🔍 Military UFO Encounter |

Why did some survive?

The report mentions that two soldiers miraculously survived. The reason? They were standing in the shadows and were not fully exposed to that intense light. This detail is crucial because it suggests the mechanism of “petrification” might be related to some kind of radiation or energy wave that is triggered only by direct exposure.

The KGB investigation

After the incident, the KGB (Soviet secret police) immediately sealed off the scene and transported the 23 “petrified” soldiers’ remains, along with the UFO wreckage, to a secret research base near Moscow. The report states that after scientific testing, the molecular structure of the soldiers’ body tissues had completely turned into limestone.

Scientists believe this “petrification phenomenon” was caused by an energy source unknown to humanity.

What does the CIA say?

This document was declassified by the CIA in May 2000 and uploaded to its official website. The file quotes an unnamed CIA official:

“If the KGB file is consistent with the facts, then this is an extremely dangerous case. The weapons and technology possessed by aliens far exceed our imagination. They have the ability to defend themselves when attacked.”

Most notably, the file contains a note marked by U.S. intelligence personnel:

“most extreme claims”

Is it real or fake?

Of course, this story is not without controversy.

Former CIA agent Mike Baker has publicly expressed skepticism, saying: “I really don’t believe that aliens landed decades ago, turned Soviet soldiers into limestone, and we’re only hearing about it now.”

Fact-checking websites point out that this “declassified document” is actually a compilation of articles from World News Weekly (a Canadian supermarket tabloid known for sensationalism) and a Ukrainian newspaper, rather than an original intelligence file. But—if you look at the actual CIA file, it does exist, and it is undeniably declassified and released by the CIA.

Why would the CIA archive the content of a supermarket tabloid as an official file? This question might be even more intriguing than the incident itself.

Revelation

This story perfectly showcases the fascinating aspect of UFO research: Is it the tip of a massive iceberg of secrets, or an elaborately crafted urban legend?

Whether you believe it or not, one fact is undeniable: This incident is almost unknown in Asia. If you bring it up with friends, you’ll definitely be the most knowledgeable person in the room.

Now, you know.

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References

• CIA Reading Room: DOC_0005517761
• Fox News: CIA file about aliens attacking soldiers takes off with UFO intrigue
• NTD: 外星人令前蘇聯士兵石化？CIA解密檔案網絡熱傳
• Global Fact Check: The Siberian UFO myth