A newly released Pentagon archive has produced its first document linking a known Russian military aircraft to a previously classified Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) case. The report, dated May 2022 and declassified in October 2025, describes an American intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft observing what it terms a “probable SU-27/35” landing near Al Assad Airbase in Iraq, a facility hosting U.S. and coalition personnel.
The document, originally classified as SECRET, was declassified on October 8, 2025, by U.S. Central Command Chief of Staff Major General Richard A. Harrison. It details a mission that began with an aircraft taking off from Sigonella Airbase in Italy, operating over the Eastern Mediterranean and Iraq.
At 0011Z, the crew noted “one possible small UAP was observed.” Approximately one hour later, at 0117Z, they recorded “one probable SU-27/35 landing IYO Al Assad AFLD,” with “IYO” being military shorthand for “in the vicinity of.” The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) reviewed the submission, which included ten seconds of infrared video footage and a mission report. The official description of the video states it “depicts two areas of contrast moving together near the ce”—the text is cut off in the released document.
The SU-27 and SU-35 are fighter jets operated by the Russian Federation. Neither the Iraqi nor Russian governments have acknowledged the presence of such an aircraft at Al Assad in May 2022. The report was filed as an “unresolved” UAP case, meaning the object was not identified with certainty.
However, the document itself refers to it as a “probable” SU-27/35. This discrepancy raises questions about whether the aircrew’s identification was overruled or simply left unresolved due to insufficient corroborating data.
The ten-second video clip may not provide enough detail to confirm the aircraft’s identity, but the mission report, written by the crew at the time, clearly states their observation. Al Assad Airbase is a significant facility hosting U.S. and coalition personnel. A Russian jet landing there, even briefly, would represent a major breach of operational security.
The document does not explain what happened after the landing—whether the aircraft departed, how long it stayed, or whether any action was taken. The PURSUE archive was established to increase transparency around military encounters with anomalous phenomena.
This is the first release under that program involving a known Russian aircraft type. The report is dated May 2022 and was declassified in October 2025, meaning it remained classified as a SECRET UAP case for over three years before being made public. The absence of follow-up in the document is itself a notable detail.
