State Department UAP Cable 003, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 30, 2001
This October 2001 State Department cable concerns disputed reports that Russian aircraft violated Georgian airspace and bombed the Kodori Gorge. Its “UFO” language appears in a Russian official’s denial, while the cable’s own comment rejects that framing and sharply criticizes the Russian explanation.
- File
- Document · Release 01
- Date
- 10/28/2001-10/29/2001
- Location
- Georgia
- Extent
- 5 pages
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Probed Assessment
Key takeaways
- Russian officials denied that Russian aircraft flew over or bombed positions in the Kodori Gorge on October 28–29, 2001.
- MFA desk chief Tereoken said reports of planes in the area might as well have been about “UFOs.”
- Tereoken confirmed that one trainload of Russian military equipment left Gudauta for Russia on October 29.
Why it matters
State Department UAP Cable 3, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 30, 2001 is an officially released 5-page record with searchable page text, page-specific claim locators, dated events where supported, and document-level provenance.
Corroboration
The release establishes official provenance for State Department UAP Cable 3, Tbilisi, Georgia, October 30, 2001, but its reported observations, judgments, and interpretations remain source claims unless supported by independent records.
Open questions
- • Which companion records or contemporaneous sources, if any, independently corroborate the document’s key claims?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
On October 28-29, there was an incident alleged by the Georgian Foreign Ministry that Russian aircraft had violated Georgian airspace and bombed areas of the Kodori Gorge. Russians denied any of the claims and said that it could have been UFOs. Cable authors note that Russians typically engage in the “bold lie” when they wish to conceal actions.
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 01
- Official ID
- release-01-file-154-state-department-uap-cable-003-tbilisi-georgia-october-30-2001
- Cleared
- May 8, 2026
Referenced Timeline
Reported airspace violation and bombing in Kodori Gorge
The cable discusses Georgian allegations concerning October 28–29.
Military equipment departed Gudauta
The cable says one trainload entered Russia on October 29.
Vershbow meeting with Mamedov
Ambassador Vershbow raised the reported incidents with Deputy Foreign Minister Mamedov.
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
Russian officials denied that Russian aircraft flew over or bombed positions in the Kodori Gorge on October 28–29, 2001.
ACCORDING TO THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, NO RUSSIAN PLANES FLEW OVER OR BOMBED POSITIONS IN THE KODORI GORGE OCTOBER 28-29.
MFA desk chief Tereoken said reports of planes in the area might as well have been about “UFOs.”
REPORTS OF PLANES IN THE AREA MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN ABOUT “UFOS.”
Tereoken confirmed that one trainload of Russian military equipment left Gudauta for Russia on October 29.
ONE TRAINLOAD OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT HAD DEPARTED THE BASE AND HAD ENTERED RUSSIA THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 29.
Tereoken said Abkhaz authorities would not allow outside observers to witness the withdrawal.
ABKHAZ AUTHORITIES WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY OUTSIDE OBSERVERS TO WITNESS THE WITHDRAWAL.
The cable’s comment says it was hard to accept the official Russian denials.
IT IS HARD TO ACCEPT OFFICIAL RUSSIAN DENIALS THAT RUSSIAN PLANES WERE NOT INVOLVED.
The cable assessed that Russia most likely wanted to maintain pressure on Georgians and Chechens in the gorge.
MOST LIKELY THE RUSSIANS WANT TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON THE GEORGIANS AND THE CHECHENS IN THE GORGE.
Source Material & Evidence
Research Map
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