US Releases Declassified UFO Files Including Zimbabwe Report
The United States government has published a new collection of classified documents pertaining to unidentified aerial phenomena. The release comprises 72 files from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense.
The documents, made public on Friday, contain testimony, video material, and artistic depictions. Certain files date back to the 1940s and address incidents reported both within the United States and in other parts of the world. Two previous batches of files were released on 8 May and 22 May of this year.
Zimbabwe Sighting Among Declassified Records
Of relevance to the southern African region is a recorded sighting from July 2008 at Zimbabwe's Harare International Airport. A CIA report included in the release notes that observers debated whether the object constituted an advanced reconnaissance device of a foreign government or was of extraterrestrial origin.
The report further states that beams were observed emanating from the object at one point during the observation. The presence of this record in American intelligence files raises questions about foreign surveillance activities in the region and the classification of such incidents.
Reports of Luminous Orbs in Northeastern United States
Several files detail sightings of luminous spheres or orbs in the northeastern United States. One partially redacted FBI report from February documents interviews with two individuals who observed an intense bright light in their backyard one evening.
One witness described the red colour as brilliant and beautiful, noting they had never seen anything of that particular colour before. According to the FBI report, the red sphere, approximately three feet in width, contained a white plasma sun the size of a basketball at its centre.
The individuals reported noticing a second orb, with the two appearing tethered together as they moved away. Several white orbs were also observed flying over the same residence at a higher altitude weeks later, the report states.
A subsequent FBI interview from July 2025 references earlier reports of orbs within the same general area. The observation occurred within 25 miles of previously documented sightings designated as the Triangle Orbs, Red Orb Rotation, and Orbs Over the Pond incidents, at a sparsely populated location.
Additional Sightings
An October 2024 incident describes a luminous object hovering above a pond, below the horizon. The report characterises the object as a plasma-like sphere that intermittently changed shape and luminosity. At times, the primary light source appeared to separate into smaller luminous points.
Historical Records
The oldest documents in this release date to the 1940s. One Defense Department file, an Evaluation Study of the Phenomenon of Flying Saucers from June 1946, examined approximately 210 incidents. The study concluded that 20 percent had been explained and found no tangible evidence supporting a theory that any incidents were attributable to the activity of a foreign nation. The study did not, however, rule out other origins for the remaining incidents.
Official Statement
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a statement regarding the release:
These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled speculation, and it is time the American people see it for themselves.
The publication of these documents forms part of an ongoing declassification process by the United States government. The implications of such aerial phenomena for national sovereignty and the integrity of airspace remain matters of institutional concern for governments worldwide.