27 September 1989 claimed encounter; TASS story 9 October / T166
Voronezh: a TASS report was not scientific confirmation
Voronezh, Russian SFSR
Witness account
An internationally circulated TASS story described an alleged landing in a Voronezh park and very tall beings accompanied by a robot. The best-known episode was assigned to 27 September 1989, while the TASS report appeared on 9 October. Much of the dramatic narrative came from children; descriptions of other alleged visits were also folded into coverage.
Public record
Contemporary wire reports show how quickly the account changed under scrutiny. On 10 October the TASS correspondent clarified that he had not witnessed the event. Subsequent reporting included doubts from Soviet UFO investigators and a scientist’s objection that his remarks had been exaggerated.