Were Kyiv's Phantom Objects Really Extraordinary?

Introduction

The “Kyiv phantoms” became one of the most discussed Ukrainian UFO claims of the 2020s because they appeared to come from astronomers using instrumented observations rather than eyewitness stories. In 2022, researchers associated with the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine reported detecting fast-moving dark objects over the Kyiv region using meteor-monitoring cameras. They called one class of these objects “Phantoms” and argued that some appeared to be tens of metres across and moving at extraordinary speeds. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

The dispute emerged almost immediately. Critics did not mainly argue about whether unusual images had been recorded. Instead, they challenged the calculations used to estimate distance, size and velocity. If those estimates were wrong by even a modest factor, the objects could shift from seemingly exotic aerial phenomena to much more ordinary explanations such as insects, birds, debris, artillery-related objects, camera artefacts or other nearby targets. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgSkeptical InquirerUFOs over KyivUFOs over Kyiv · A composite image of three frames presented as a UFO but resembling an insect close to t…

The Kyiv case therefore became less a debate about aliens and more a lesson in how difficult it is to infer the properties of fast-moving objects from limited optical data during a period when Ukraine’s skies were already crowded with wartime activity.

What the astronomers claimed

The claim originated in a series of 2022 papers uploaded to arXiv by researchers including Boris Zhilyaev. The team used meteor-observation stations in Kyiv and the wider Kyiv region, employing high-frame-rate cameras originally intended for atmospheric and astronomical monitoring. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

The researchers reported two broad categories of unidentified aerial phenomena: [arxiv.org]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

• “Cosmics”, described as bright objects brighter than the background sky.
• “Phantoms”, described as dark objects appearing darker than the daytime sky background. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

According to the papers, the observations included short-lived events lasting fractions of a second. The authors stated that some phantom objects appeared to have sizes ranging roughly from 20 to 100 metres and speeds reaching several kilometres per second. They stressed that the observations were experimental detections and generally avoided claiming a specific origin for the objects. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

The reports gained attention because they arrived during heightened global interest in UAPs following American government investigations and because they appeared to come from a respected astronomical institution rather than a civilian UFO group. Media coverage often emphasised the dramatic numerical estimates while giving less attention to the assumptions behind them. [Live Science]livescience.comukraine ufo uap reportLive Science'Cosmic' and 'phantom' UFOs are all over Ukraine's skies…14 Sept 2022 — Dozens of 'phantom' and 'cosmic' UFOs have been de…

Why distance and scale mattered so much

The central issue in the Kyiv phantom controversy was not whether dark streaks or shapes appeared in the camera data. The real question was how far away those objects were.

In optical observations, distance is everything. The same dark shape could represent:

Without a reliable distance measurement, estimates of size and speed become highly uncertain. A nearby object crossing the field of view can appear to move extremely fast, while a distant object may seem slow even when travelling rapidly.

The Ukrainian researchers attempted to derive physical characteristics from image analysis and colourimetric methods. Their papers argued that atmospheric effects and brightness measurements could be used to estimate distance and therefore infer object size and velocity. [ResearchGate]researchgate.netResearch Gate(PDF) Unidentified aerial phenomenaUAPs over Kyiv25 Mar 2023 — The Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine conducts an independent study of UAP also. For UAP observ…

Critics argued that this was the weakest part of the analysis. Several reviewers noted that small changes in assumed reflectivity, atmospheric conditions or object darkness could radically alter the resulting estimates. One detailed technical critique pointed out that some reported size estimates varied dramatically depending on assumptions about an object’s reflectance and interaction with atmospheric scattering. [Reddit]reddit.comThe Ukrainian UAP paper reported an object trackedRedditThe Ukrainian UAP paper reported an object tracked…December 1, 2022 — Today's release of UAP / UFO records had already been in t…Published: December 1, 2022

The consequence was profound. If the distance estimate dropped by a factor of ten, then an apparently enormous, hypersonic object could instead become a conventional nearby object moving at ordinary speeds.

The fireball problem

One of the most influential criticisms came from Harvard astronomer Abraham Loeb. His objection focused on basic atmospheric physics rather than image interpretation.

The Ukrainian papers suggested that some dark objects were moving at speeds reaching many kilometres per second while remaining optically dark. Loeb argued that an object of metre-scale dimensions travelling through Earth’s atmosphere at such velocities should generate intense heating, shock effects and visible luminosity. In simple terms, it should resemble a bright fireball rather than a dark silhouette. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

Loeb’s analysis proposed a much more mundane possibility: if the inferred distances were overestimated by about an order of magnitude, the reported characteristics became broadly compatible with artillery shells or other conventional wartime objects. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

This argument gained attention because it attacked the extraordinary interpretation through a straightforward physical constraint. Critics did not need to know exactly what the objects were. They only needed to show that the claimed combination of size, speed and darkness was difficult to reconcile with atmospheric flight.

Supporters of the original papers countered that the observations themselves remained real detections and that the challenge was interpreting them correctly. The disagreement therefore shifted from observation to inference.

Scientific criticism inside and outside Ukraine

The strongest pushback did not come solely from sceptical bloggers or UFO debunkers. Ukrainian scientific institutions themselves expressed reservations.

Reports cited statements from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine indicating that the work contained significant methodological problems and that alternative explanations had not been adequately excluded. Critics argued that the papers moved too quickly from detection to dramatic physical estimates without demonstrating that ordinary aerial targets had been ruled out. [Space]space.comukraine ufo uap reportCosmic' and 'phantom' UFOs are all over Ukraine's skies…Sep 17, 2022 — Dozens of 'phantom' and 'cosmic' UFOs have been detected in th…

Outside Ukraine, researchers and analysts raised several recurring concerns:

Insufficient methodological transparency

Reviewers noted that some calculations were difficult to reproduce from the information provided in the papers. Questions emerged about how distance estimates were generated and how uncertainties were propagated through later calculations. [Metabunk]metabunk.orgMetabunkUkrainian UAP Study: "Observation of Events"Aug 26, 2022 — UFOs and Aliens · Starflint · War.gov/UFO - Department of War Releases…

Motion blur and image limitations

The observations involved extremely short-lived events recorded at high frame rates. Critics argued that blurred targets moving across a frame can mix with the background sky and distort measurements of colour, contrast and shape. [Metabunk]metabunk.orgMetabunkUkrainian UAP Study: "Observation of Events"Aug 26, 2022 — UFOs and Aliens · Starflint · War.gov/UFO - Department of War Releases…

Lack of independent confirmation

The claims attracted worldwide attention, but no independent observatory produced a matching body of evidence demonstrating the same extraordinary object characteristics over Kyiv. The absence of corroborating sensor data weakened confidence in the most dramatic interpretations. [Space]space.comukraine uap report debunkedSpaceThere aren't actually UFOs over Ukraine, experts say4 Nov 2022 — 9 strange, scientific excuses for why humans haven't found aliens y…

Wartime observational noise

The observations occurred during a period when Ukraine’s airspace contained missiles, drones, artillery effects, military aircraft and extensive surveillance activity. Critics argued that any UAP analysis conducted in such an environment must account for an unusually high number of conventional aerial objects. [Medium]avi-loeb.medium.comMedium“Down To Earth” Limits on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in…A UFO Craft Too Big To Move? A massive UFO is hiding in a secret over…

Were the objects insects, birds or something else?

No single alternative explanation has achieved universal acceptance. However, the debate increasingly centred on the possibility that at least some phantom detections involved nearby objects rather than distant extraordinary craft.

A particularly influential criticism came from image analysts who compared some published examples to insects passing close to the camera lens. One sceptical examination argued that certain composite images resembled flies or other nearby biological objects rather than large distant vehicles. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgSkeptical InquirerUFOs over KyivUFOs over Kyiv · A composite image of three frames presented as a UFO but resembling an insect close to t…

This may sound trivial, but it directly addresses the distance problem. An insect a few metres from a camera can cross the field of view rapidly, appear dark against a bright sky and produce unusual shapes because of motion blur and shutter timing. If mistaken for a distant object, its apparent speed and size become wildly exaggerated.

Other suggested explanations included:

Importantly, critics generally did not claim that every reported detection had been individually solved. Their position was that the evidence did not justify the extraordinary numerical conclusions presented in the papers.

What the Kyiv phantom dispute reveals about UFO evidence

The Kyiv phantom controversy became significant because it exposed a recurring weakness in modern UFO research: detecting an unusual image is often easier than determining what the image represents.

The Ukrainian researchers succeeded in attracting attention because they used instruments rather than anecdotal witness reports. That alone placed the case above many traditional UFO stories. Yet instrument-based observations do not automatically produce reliable estimates of distance, size or speed. Those quantities must still be inferred through models and assumptions. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

The dispute also demonstrated how quickly a case can change depending on one uncertain variable. If the reported distances were approximately correct, the objects would be difficult to explain within ordinary aviation and atmospheric frameworks. If the distances were substantially wrong, many conventional explanations become plausible. [arXiv]arxiv.orgarXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena IObservations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri…Published: August 23, 2022

For Ukraine’s broader UFO record, the Kyiv phantoms remain an important case not because they proved something extraordinary, but because they highlighted the gap between detection and interpretation. The observations themselves are real in the sense that camera systems recorded unusual transient objects. The controversy lies in whether the published methods justified claims about enormous size, hypersonic speed and exceptional behaviour. On that point, the scientific debate remains far more sceptical than many headlines suggested. [Live Science]livescience.comukraine ufo uap reportLive Science'Cosmic' and 'phantom' UFOs are all over Ukraine's skies…14 Sept 2022 — Dozens of 'phantom' and 'cosmic' UFOs have been de… 3arXiv 3arXiv

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Were Kyiv's Phantom Objects Really Extraordinary?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

UFOs

By Leslie Kean

Examines cases supported by instruments and professional observers.

See on Amazon

Book

The UFO Experience

By Joseph Allen Hynek

Directly relevant to interpreting observational data and uncertainty.

See on Amazon

Book

Passport to Magonia

By Jacques Vallee

Adds broader context to recurring interpretations of anomalous sightings.

See on Amazon

Book

The Hynek UFO Report

By J. Allen Hynek

Highlights the challenge of distinguishing extraordinary claims from observational error.

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon: UFOs The UFO Experience Passport to Magonia

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Endnotes

1. Source: arxiv.org
   Title: arXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena I
   Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.11215
   Source snippet

   Observations of eventsAugust 23, 2022 — by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — NASA commissioned a research team to study Unidentified Aeri...

   Published: August 23, 2022

2. Source: arxiv.org
   Title: arXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena II
   Link: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2211.17085
   Source snippet

   Evaluation of UAP...by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — The Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine conducts an independent stu...

3. Source: arxiv.org
   Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.01972
   Source snippet

   arXiv"Down to Earth" Limits on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Ukraine (Comment on arXiv:2208.11215)...

4. Source: metabunk.org
   Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/ukrainian-uap-study-observation-of-events.12607/
   Source snippet

   MetabunkUkrainian UAP Study: "Observation of Events"Aug 26, 2022 — UFOs and Aliens · Starflint · War.gov/UFO - Department of War Releases...

5. Source: arxiv.org
   Title: arXiv Unidentified aerial phenomena II
   Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.17085
   Source snippet

   Evaluation of UAP...by BE Zhilyaev · 2022 · Cited by 6 — For UAP observations, we used two meteor stations installed in Kyiv and in the...

6. Source: researchgate.net
   Title: Research Gate(PDF) Unidentified aerial phenomena
   Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369529382_Unidentified_aerial_phenomena_UAPs_over_Kyiv
   Source snippet

   UAPs over Kyiv25 Mar 2023 — The Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine conducts an independent study of UAP also. For UAP observ...

7. Source: space.com
   Title: ukraine ufo uap report
   Link: https://www.space.com/ukraine-ufo-uap-report
   Source snippet

   'Cosmic' and 'phantom' UFOs are all over Ukraine's skies...Sep 17, 2022 — Dozens of 'phantom' and 'cosmic' UFOs have been detected in th...

8. Source: reddit.com
   Title: The Ukrainian UAP paper reported an object tracked
   Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/za3p2w/the_ukrainian_uap_paper_reported_an_object/
   Source snippet

   RedditThe Ukrainian UAP paper reported an object tracked...December 1, 2022 — Today's release of UAP / UFO records had already been in t...

   Published: December 1, 2022

9. Source: space.com
   Title: ukraine uap report debunked
   Link: https://www.space.com/ukraine-uap-report-debunked
   Source snippet

   SpaceThere aren't actually UFOs over Ukraine, experts say4 Nov 2022 — 9 strange, scientific excuses for why humans haven't found aliens y...

10. Source: avi-loeb.medium.com
    Link: https://avi-loeb.medium.com/down-to-earth-limits-on-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-in-ukraine-6d8bb9f64f85
    Source snippet

    Medium“Down To Earth” Limits on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in...A UFO Craft Too Big To Move? A massive UFO is hiding in a secret over...

11. Source: arxiv.org
    Title: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
    Link: https://arxiv.org/html/2503.05627v1
    Source snippet

    Characterization of Dark...Feb 13, 2025 — EXCLUSIVE: Disk-shaped UFO filmed by Ukrainian military in combat zone." Report issue for prec...

12. Source: avi-loeb.medium.com
    Title: open science and unidentified aerial phenomena 4873d3169383
    Link: https://avi-loeb.medium.com/open-science-and-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-4873d3169383
    Source snippet

    Science and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena | by Avi LoebThe Ukranian astronomers saw the phantom objects as dark. This... UFO, Aliens Cra...

13. Source: reddit.com
    Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufo/comments/xwxdhv/down_to_earth_limits_on_unidentified_aerial/
    Source snippet

    “Down To Earth” Limits on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Ukraine... This "analysis" of his is more in-line with Mick West in...

14. Source: researchgate.net
    Title: (PDF) Unidentified aerial phenomena II
    Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365889706_Unidentified_aerial_phenomena_II_Evaluation_of_UAP_properties
    Source snippet

    Evaluation of UAP...2 Dec 2022 — The Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine conducts an independent study of UAP also. For UAP...

15. Source: skepticalinquirer.org
    Link: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2022/12/ufos-over-kyiv/
    Source snippet

    Skeptical InquirerUFOs over KyivUFOs over Kyiv · A composite image of three frames presented as a UFO but resembling an insect close to t...

16. Source: livescience.com
    Title: ukraine ufo uap report
    Link: https://www.livescience.com/ukraine-ufo-uap-report
    Source snippet

    Live Science'Cosmic' and 'phantom' UFOs are all over Ukraine's skies...14 Sept 2022 — Dozens of 'phantom' and 'cosmic' UFOs have been de...

17. Source: livescience.com
    Title: ukraine uap report debunked
    Link: https://www.livescience.com/ukraine-uap-report-debunked
    Source snippet

    Are there really UFOs flying over Ukraine?Oct 15, 2022 — A photo of a UFO taken in 1957 near Holloman Air Development Center, Alamagordo...

18. Source: academia.edu
    Title: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
    Link: https://www.academia.edu/121508543/Unidentified_Aerial_Phenomena_Events_over_Kyiv_and_New_York
    Source snippet

    Events over Kyiv and New...We present observations of objects of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) class in Kyiv and New York. Bot...

Additional References

1. Source: thealphacentauri.net
   Title: Космічні об’єкти світяться яскравіше фону неба. Фантоми – це темні об’єкти з
   Link: https://thealphacentauri.net/126562-naukovci-zafiksuvali-uap-v-nebi-kiyeva/
   Source snippet

   Alpha CentauriНауковці зафіксували UAP в небі Києва - Alpha Centauri15 Sept 2022 — Існує два типи UAP, які умовно називаються Cosmics і P...

2. Source: english.nv.ua
   Title: ukrainian astronomers observe bizarre aerial phenomena over kyiv 50269993
   Link: https://english.nv.ua/nation/ukrainian-astronomers-observe-bizarre-aerial-phenomena-over-kyiv-50269993.html
   Source snippet

   astronomers observe bizarre aerial phenomena...14 Sept 2022 — Astronomers from Ukraine's National Science Academy have observed “unident...

3. Source: facebook.com
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/GeoEnglishdotTV/posts/ukrainian-scientists-claim-they-have-seen-multiple-ufos-in-a-paper-published-in-/5904616729593702/
   Source snippet

   Oil painting by me drawn in honor of the publication by my country's astronomers the results of UFO...Read more...

4. Source: salon.com
   Title: physicist avi loeb ufos over ukraine are not as otherwordly as they seem
   Link: https://www.salon.com/2022/10/09/physicist-avi-loeb-ufos-over-ukraine-are-not-as-otherwordly-as-they-seem/
   Source snippet

   Physicist Avi Loeb: UFOs over Ukraine are not as...9 Oct 2022 — The Ukrainian astronomers saw the phantom objects as dark.... In a stra...

5. Source: mao.kiev.ua
   Link: https://www.mao.kiev.ua/index.php/en/forum/info/678-astronomical-observations-of-ufos
   Source snippet

   The characteristics of the UFO were analyzed quantitatively. The observational and...Read more...

6. Source: mezha.ua
   Link: https://mezha.ua/en/2022/09/14/ukraine-s-astronomers-say-there-are-tons-of-ufos-over-kyiv/
   Source snippet

   Ukraine's astronomers say there are tons of UFOs over Kyiv14 Sept 2022 — Scientists divided their observations into two categories: cosmi...

7. Source: youtube.com
   Title: THESE THINGS ARE EVERYWHERE IN THE SKIES OF UKRAINE
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ2hgsEF4kQ
   Source snippet

   UFO OVER UKRAINE? DRONEWATCHERS noticed it! Shocking secrets of the PENTAGON. And what ASTRONAUTS...

8. Source: yahoo.com
   Title: arent actually ufos over ukraine 170008050
   Link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/arent-actually-ufos-over-ukraine-170008050.html
   Source snippet

   There aren't actually UFOs over Ukraine, experts say19 Oct 2022 — A recent report about pitch-black "phantom" UFOs in the skies over Ukra...

9. Source: facebook.com
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/SlappedHam/posts/a-bold-new-study-claims-scientists-have-detected-dark-uaps-these-are-massive-nea/1452208436271389/
   Source snippet

   ne larger than entire cities combined. #UFO #spaceship #aliens #...

10. Source: facebook.com
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/100090224372366/posts/inside-ukraines-scientific-study-of-ufos-and-anomaliesoften-dismissed-as-science/717359871281486/
    Source snippet

    ion stories that people dismissed the idea, making any serious...