CIA Russell Memo: Full Declassification Released
The Black Vault obtained the complete declassification of a 1955 CIA top-secret memorandum detailing Senator Russell's UFO sighting through a Mandatory Declassification Review request filed in January 2020. The full two-page document, previously released only in heavily redacted form in 1978, became available after a two-year review process, revealing previously withheld witness identities and operational details.
Background
On January 6, 2020, researchers submitted a Mandatory Declassification Review request to the Central Intelligence Agency regarding a 1955 memorandum concerning unusual aerial observations by Senator Richard B. Russell. After approximately two years of processing, the agency released the complete two-page document without redactions.
The memorandum, originally classified TOP SECRET and authored by Herbert Scoville Jr., Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence, contained detailed witness testimony regarding disc-shaped objects observed near Baku. Previous releases in 1978 contained numerous whited-out sections concealing identities and specific details. The 2023 release marked the first public availability of the complete historical record, confirming the participation of CIA scientific consultants and the Senator's military escort as additional witnesses.