059 案卷 UAP 编号 11

COMFIDEMTIAL
 IUNCLASSIFl 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

 PAGE 01 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

 IUNCLASSIFl ED
COMFIDEMTIAL Pagel of 5
COt~FIDDHIAL
 IUNCLASSI FlED

 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
 eer~FIBEl~TIAL

 PAGE 03 MOSCOW 13169 01 OF 02 301754Z
 ALLEGING RUSSIAN PLANES HAD VIOLATED 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 Page 2 of 5
COt~FIDDHIAL IUNCLASSI Fl ED

 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

 PAGE 04 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

 PAGE 01 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 IFl ED

COMFIDEMTIAL Page 3 of 5
COt~FIDDHIAL

 IUNCLASSIFl 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

 PAGE 02 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 Page 4 of 5
COt~FIDDHIAL
 INCLASSIFIED

 Dissemination Rule: Archive Copy

 OONFIDENTIJl!cL

 IUNCLASSI FlED

COMFIDEMTIAL Page 5 of 5