It sounds like something ripped from the pages of a pulp sci-fi horror novel: 23 Soviet soldiers turned to stone after engaging a UFO, their bodies frozen in eerie postures of terror, as if caught mid-motion by some unfathomable power. Yet this outlandish tale is not found in tabloids or conspiracy forums alone—it originates from a declassified CIA memo, buried in the Cold War archives and released decades later to a stunned public.
So what is this story?
Did the Soviet Union really engage extraterrestrial forces… and lose?
Let’s unravel the bizarre legend of the “Stone Soldiers Incident”—a chilling blend of Cold War secrecy, UFO folklore, and high strangeness.
The CIA Memo: A Shocking Translation
The story comes from a CIA document dated March 27, 1993, titled “Chronology of Interesting UFO Events”. In it, the CIA translates an article from the Ukrainian newspaper Ternopil Vechirniy, which allegedly references a KGB file detailing a terrifying extraterrestrial encounter.
According to the translation:
“A Soviet military unit shot down a low-flying saucer. The five occupants of the UFO emerged and merged into a shining white sphere. It exploded with a blinding flash. Afterward, 23 Soviet soldiers who had watched the event were turned into stone—like a Pompeii-style petrification.”
The only survivors were two soldiers who remained in the shadows and were spared the strange fate.
The file supposedly ended up in the hands of the KGB, where it was locked away in secrecy. Only after the Soviet collapse did this chilling account surface, via classified documents and scattered whispers.
Details from the Alleged KGB Report
Though the CIA memo merely reports a translation, the original KGB document allegedly contained the following details:
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The incident occurred in Siberia, at an unnamed military base.
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After shooting down a UFO with a surface-to-air missile, five humanoid beings emerged from the wreckage.
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The beings joined together, forming a ball of bright white light.
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This orb exploded with intense energy.
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The result: 23 soldiers were instantly transformed into stone statues, their facial expressions described as “frozen in horror.”
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The UFO’s remains were collected by the KGB, along with the statues, and taken to a secure facility near Moscow.
The article ends with a chilling note:
“If this file is genuine, it is an extremely menacing case. The aliens possess weapons and technology beyond human understanding.”
Is There Any Truth to It?
Let’s be clear: this story is almost certainly a myth. But it’s a myth with roots in real geopolitical anxiety, military secrecy, and the enduring obsession with UFOs during the Cold War.
Here’s what we know:
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The CIA didn’t investigate the event themselves—they merely translated and catalogued the story as part of their intelligence-gathering on global UFO reports.
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The newspaper source, Ternopil Vechirniy, has no known credibility in Western intelligence circles.
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The original KGB file has never been publicly produced or confirmed to exist.
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No photographic or physical evidence of the alleged stone soldiers or craft has ever surfaced.
Still, the tale has gained traction in UFO communities, conspiracy theorist circles, and Cold War mystery archives as a kind of urban legend with official flavor—a story too weird to ignore, and just official-looking enough to tempt belief.
Context: Cold War, UFOs, and State Secrets
During the Cold War, both the U.S. and Soviet Union were obsessed with UFOs, not necessarily because of aliens, but because they believed sightings might reveal experimental aircraft or enemy surveillance technology. Both nations catalogued thousands of sightings, many of which remain unexplained.
But at the intersection of fear, secrecy, and superstition, stories like the Stone Soldiers incident took root. The idea that a hostile alien craft might retaliate with a weapon capable of instant petrification resonates with both apocalyptic fear and the mythos of alien superiority.
And given the Soviet Union’s love of secrecy, it’s not surprising that tales like this flourished in the shadows.
The Myth That Refuses to Die
To this day, believers claim:
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The Soviet government covered up alien encounters to avoid panic.
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The statues were secretly studied at black sites deep within Russia.
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The explosion wasn’t an alien weapon, but a form of interdimensional energy or quantum physics beyond our comprehension.
Others dismiss the story as a hoax, a Cold War-era disinformation campaign, or even a fabrication planted to test reactions within intelligence agencies.
Still, each year, new retellings surface—on podcasts, YouTube channels, and paranormal expos—suggesting that this story, real or not, has entered modern myth.
Conclusion: Fact, Fiction, or Fear?
Did 23 Soviet troops really turn to stone after encountering an alien craft?
Almost certainly not.
But the CIA’s inclusion of the story in their files, the persistence of the legend, and the psychological impact of such tales all point to something deeper: a human need to explain the unexplainable, especially in times of uncertainty and fear.
Whether it was a hoax, a misinterpretation, or a deliberate plant of disinformation, the story of the Stone Soldiers endures as a Cold War campfire tale—a fusion of military secrecy, alien paranoia, and mythic punishment.
Because in the game of global power and extraterrestrial unknowns, the scariest question isn’t whether the story is real.
It’s whether we’re ready for it if it ever is.