According to a report from that time, in 1993, troops shot down an alien spacecraft flying over Siberia using a surface-to-air missile. This strange story made its way into a Ukrainian newspaper and was even mentioned in a declassified CIA file, which suggested that if true, it would indicate the existence of highly advanced alien technology posing a significant threat when provoked. Despite public dismissal by the then USSR, claiming reports of UFO sightings and alien encounters were simply Western fabrications, newly released documents reveal that the Soviets were quietly documenting and analyzing unusual aerial phenomena, reports the Express. Throughout the 70s and 80s, institutions regularly recorded what they termed 'Abnormal Atmospheric Phenomena'. One of the most striking entries is dated February 13, 1989, and describes a large aerial object over Nalchik, in southern Russia. Witnesses reported a 'jellyfish'-like shape that they claimed hovered in the sky for over an hour before vanishing from view. Although not included in the files, the most infamous case involved a low-flying, saucer-shaped craft appearing above a Soviet military unit during training exercises in Siberia. After shooting down the craft with a missile, five figures reportedly emerged from the wreckage before merging into a single "spherical object" that "began to buzz and hiss sharply", grew in size and exploded, emitting a flash of light that instantly turned 23 nearby soldiers into stone pillars. It's alleged that two survivors lived because they were less exposed. It comes as Barack Obama confessed aliens are real before lifting the lid on Area 51.

Show me more content from TIME on Google Search Former President Barack Obama said in an interview published Saturday that aliens are “real,” but added that he hadn't seen them. Read more: If They Find Life in Space, Scientists Are Worried About Breaking the News. “It is important for us to recognize the unprecedented nature of what ICE was doing in Minneapolis, St. Paul, the way that federal agents, ICE agents were being deployed, without any clear guidelines, training, pulling people out of their homes, using five-year-olds to try to bait their parents,” he said, referring to the case of 5-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos. “So the rogue behavior of agents of the federal government is deeply concerning and dangerous, but we should take a moment to appreciate the extraordinary outpouring of organizing, community building, decency, neighbors buying groceries for folks, accompanying children to school, teachers who were standing up for their kids, not just randomly, but in a systematic, organized way, citizens saying, “this is not the America we believe in,'” he said. Obama, whom Trump succeeded in 2017, had previously spoken out against the federal immigration operations in Minneapolis following the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents. In a statement with his wife Michelle posted on X after Pretti's death, Obama claimed that Trump and officials in his Administration “seem eager to escalate the situation” instead of “trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they've deployed.” “I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, Administration officials will reconsider their approach.” The Trump Administration said Thursday it is winding down its massive immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota following months of unrest over excessive use of force by immigration officers in the state, including the shooting deaths of Pretti and Good. “I have proposed and President Trump has concurred that this surge operation conclude,” border czar Tom Homan told reporters in a press conference in Minneapolis on Thursday. President Donald Trump sent Homan, his top immigration advisor, to Minnesota late last month to address large-scale protests over excessive use of force by immigration officers in the state. Homan took over leadership of “Operation Metro Surge” from Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and quickly set up meetings with local and state leaders, including sheriffs, police chiefs, Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Obama also responded indirectly to the recent controversy over a video posted by President Donald Trump that depicted him and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. When asked about it, Obama commented on how there is a "sort of clown show that's happening in social media and on television.” "What is true is there doesn't seem to be any shame about this among people who used to feel like you had to have some sense of decorum and a sense of propriety and respect for the office. Trump has refused to apologize for posting the video, saying he instructed a staffer to share it but that he had not seen the offending part. "I didn't see the whole thing," Trump said. TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have been spotted over restricted US nuclear facilities, with information so classified that even presidents are briefed only on a need-to-know basis, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a close ally of former President Donald Trump. Rubio made the striking revelation in a trailer for The Age of Disclosure, a UFO documentary released on November 21, 2025, with streaming on Prime Video and awards-qualifying theatrical screenings. Produced by Emmy-winning director Dan Farah, the film claims an 80-year global cover-up of non-human intelligence. During World War II, Allied pilots reported "foo fighters" - enigmatic glowing spheres that followed aircraft over Europe and the Pacific, resisting conventional explanations and sparking early theories of advanced surveillance technology. Theorists, ranging from authors like Stanton Friedman to online forums, have long claimed a government-orchestrated cover-up of alien craft and bodies, with Roswell serving as the epicenter for decades of skepticism toward official denials. Mr Rubio's revelation also brings to mind a notorious 1967 incident at Montana's Malmstrom Air Force Base, where UFOs allegedly disabled US nuclear missiles. Moments later, all 10 Minuteman missiles inexplicably shut down, despite multiple safeguards. Robert Salas, who later spoke publicly about the incident, described it as beyond human technology - possibly an extraterrestrial message against nuclear weapons. The film features declassified Pentagon videos from 2004 and 2015, showing Navy pilots reacting to objects moving at seemingly impossible speeds. One Navy pilot states: "There's a whole fleet of them... My gosh, they're all going against the wind." This corresponds with official concerns: A 2019 Pentagon task force documented "unauthorised and/or unidentified aircraft" in military zones, leading to streamlined Navy reporting procedures. The now-defunct Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, headed by Luis Elizondo until his 2017 resignation over secrecy issues, investigated similar incursions. Luis Elizondo told CNN: "There is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone." As a former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mr. Rubio demands attention. He states: "It's a crucial topic," highlighting possible threats from sophisticated - or extraterrestrial - origins. The evidence suggests various scenarios, from hostile nations to unmanned aircraft or cutting-edge technology.

Did former President Barack Obama finally answer one of the world's biggest mysteries? During an appearance Saturday on Brian Tyler Cohen's podcast, the former commander in chief was asked directly if aliens were real. “They're real, but I haven't seen them,” Obama answered. “There's no underground facility, unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” Obama continued. Cohen then asked what Obama's first question was after becoming president — and it again involved aliens. During a 2021 appearance on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” Obama said that after taking office, he sought information on aliens and whether they were being studied in a secret lab. “There is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are,” he said. I think people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is.” Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy later asked President Joe Biden about Obama's comments, referring to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). UAPs have gained attention in recent years, including from the federal government.

Former US President Barack Obama sparked interest in extraterrestrial life by claiming that aliens are "real". During an interview released Saturday, Obama responded to YouTuber Brian Tyler Cowen's question about the existence of aliens. Obama said the aliens are real, but quickly dismissed conspiracy theories that they are being kept at Area 51, a secretive US Air Force base in Nevada. Also read | NASA Scientists Observe 'Dramatic' Increase In Brightness Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Area 51 has long been associated with alien and unverified UFO sightings. It's said to be a testing ground for advanced military aircraft. Obama's comments come amid growing interest in Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), the government's term for UFOs. Also read | AI Uses NASA Images To Locate Luna 9, Historic Soviet Spacecraft Missing Since 1966 There is no concrete evidence that can confirm the existence of life beyond planet Earth. The huge radio telescope collapsed in 2020 due to a cable failure, and the project ended abruptly, but citizen scientists have identified more than 12 billion signals of interest in 21 years of data.

Former US President Barack Obama sparked interest in extraterrestrial life by claiming that aliens are "real". During an interview released Saturday, Obama responded to YouTuber Brian Tyler Cowen's question about the existence of aliens. Obama said the aliens are real, but quickly dismissed conspiracy theories that they are being kept at Area 51, a secretive US Air Force base in Nevada. Also read | NASA Scientists Observe 'Dramatic' Increase In Brightness Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Area 51 has long been associated with alien and unverified UFO sightings. It's said to be a testing ground for advanced military aircraft. Obama's comments come amid growing interest in Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), the government's term for UFOs. Also read | AI Uses NASA Images To Locate Luna 9, Historic Soviet Spacecraft Missing Since 1966 There is no concrete evidence that can confirm the existence of life beyond planet Earth. The huge radio telescope collapsed in 2020 due to a cable failure, and the project ended abruptly, but citizen scientists have identified more than 12 billion signals of interest in 21 years of data.

A former imam who coerced his victims, some as young as 12, into believing he had supernatural powers, has been found guilty of 21 sexual offences, including nine counts of rape. Abdul Halim Khan, 54, of Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, in east London, used his position as a respected faith leader to abuse multiple women and girls between 2004 and 2015, the Metropolitan Police said. Khan persuaded victims to meet him at isolated spots, including flats and quiet, hidden locations, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. Victims felt they had to keep these acts hidden and quiet from families and friends, or they may be harmed by "black magic", the CPS said. Man, 19, fatally stabbed in London as murder investigation under way Boy, 13, charged with attempted murder after double stabbing at Kingsbury High School in London When questioned, Khan repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them a conspiracy and saying the victims had made them up for revenge, police said. Read more on Sky News:UK warships head to ArcticTeenager charged after fatal stabbingGold medal winner 'couldn't control emotions' Detective Sergeant Sara Yems, who led the investigation, said the seven women who came forward showed "extraordinary courage", adding she hoped that Khan's conviction would "offer a small measure of comfort". Melissa Garner, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said Khan "abused his position of trust and authority to carry out a vicious series of rapes and sexual abuses against seven victims, including three vulnerable teenage girls." She added: "Khan coerced and deceived them into thinking that he possessed supernatural powers which could protect them and their families from harm in exchange for hideous acts of sexual abuse without their consent".

Former President Barack Obama said that aliens are real but he has no idea where they are during a podcast appearance released Saturday. “They're real, but I haven't seen them,” Obama told YouTuber Brian Tyler Cowen after he asked him about extraterrestrials. The former president did not offer any further details on what he mean by “real” — and no follow-up questions on the topic were asked — but he used the appearance to cast doubt on several longtime theories as to where they might be. “They're not being kept in Area 51, there's no underground facility, unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” Obama said. Area 51 refers to a highly secretive Air Force base in Groom Lake, Nevada. Interest in potential alien contact with Earth has spiked in recent years after a series of government documents revealed several mysterious aircraft sightings. Leaked radar footage taken by United States Airforce reaper drones 13 years ago purported to show Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), the government's new term for UFOs, flying in the Middle East. The Pentagon released three unclassified Navy videos in 2021 that showed bizarre objects tearing through the sky as US servicemen reacted with awe, one UAP was seen rotating against the wind. “When it comes to aliens, there are some things I just can't tell you on air,” he teased to “The Late Late Show” host James Corden in a 2021 interview. “But what is true — and I'm actually being serious here — is that there's footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are,” he said.