Did aliens turn soviet soldiers into stone? Here's the truth behind viral claim

Though the story has been popular among UFO enthusiasts and was even discussed on The Joe Rogan Experience

Did aliens turn 23 Soviet-era soldiers into stone in the early 1990s? A purported declassified CIA document from the Cold War-era has resurfaced online, mentioning an allenged encounter between Soviet soldiers and a UFO in Ukraine that left 23 men turned to stone.

The document, which was released in 2000, details a bizarre incident that occurred in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

It claimed that soldiers, stationed in Ukraine, reportedly spotted a "low-flying saucer". After a soldier shot down the UFO, five humanoid beings reportedly emerged from the UFO, fused into a glowing sphere and exploded in a blinding flash.

The document, cited by the New York Post, claimed 23 Soviet soldiers were turned to stone, with only two survivors left. The KGB allegedly seized the remains for secret study.

Moneycontrol couldn't independently verify the authenticity of these claims.

The community notes on X dismissed the report, saying that the CIA document in question is a copy-and-paste translation of a news story archived from Kiev Holos Ukrayiny and Weekly World News.

It said that Weekly World News is known for posting satirical or false content. It also provided the link of the original report from 2021, which had first made this claim.

The story remains popular among UFO enthusiasts and was even discussed on The Joe Rogan Experience.

Former CIA agent Mike Baker had earlier cast doubt on the authenticity of the report, suggesting that the document may have been distorted over time.