Visualization of an unidentified flying object on a scene photo by the FBI laboratory based on eyewitness testimonies [U.S. Department of Defense Website]

The U.S. government released a large volume of what are known as "UFO files" on the 8th (local time). These are not official confirmations of UFO existence, but rather data for which the existence or non-existence cannot be definitively determined.

The U.S. Department of Defense (formerly War Department) posted 161 files related to "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena" (UAP) on its website that day. The data, collected from the 1940s to last year, includes information from various locations around the world, as well as from outer space and the Moon.

Astronauts on NASA's crewed lunar exploration program, the "Apollo Missions," reported witnessing strange phenomena on the lunar surface after their return.

According to the reports from the Apollo 11 astronauts, the first humans to successfully land on the Moon, pilot Buzz Aldrin stated that he saw an object of "considerable size" as they approached the Moon, and also witnessed flashes that "appeared at intervals of a few minutes" on the Moon.

Furthermore, Apollo 12 astronauts observed an unidentified vertical shape in the sky above the lunar surface from their landing site. Apollo 17 also photographed three luminous objects in orbit above the lunar surface.

The late Frank Borman, the first American to go into space, reported during a communication with the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas (now Johnson Space Center) while on Gemini 7, that he had seen a "bogey" (unidentified aircraft) and described debris made up of hundreds of small particles approximately 4 miles (about 6.6 km) away, and a "brightly shining object in the sun against a black background."

Unidentified phenomenon captured by Apollo 12 on the lunar surface [U.S. Department of Defense Website]

Eyewitness testimonies from around the world reporting sightings of UFOs, as well as U.S. military reports of spotting presumed UFOs during reconnaissance or operations, have also been declassified and released. The released data includes information obtained not only from the United States but also from the former Soviet Union, France, Japan, and Germany.

According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), multiple witnesses testified to seeing an oval, bronze-colored metallic object, approximately 130 to 195 feet (about 40 to 60 meters) long, appear in the sky in 2023 and then instantaneously disappear. Records from UFO investigations between 1947 and 1968 also include sightings of flying saucers in Tennessee.

Numerous reports from the U.S. Air Force and other agencies observing UAPs in various parts of the world are also included. One report from 2024 details the sighting of a diamond-shaped aircraft traveling at "approximately 434 knots" and observed via onboard short-wave infrared sensors for about two minutes.

Suspected flying saucer object included in a U.S. UFO report [U.S. Department of Defense Website]

The release of these files is a result of President Donald Trump's directive in February, and the data is held by the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the FBI.

The Department of Defense explained that in coordination with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), it reviewed tens of millions of records accumulated over decades, declassified them, and released them. Due to the vast volume of files, further releases are expected at intervals over the coming weeks.

The Department of Defense stated, "The materials contained herein are unresolved incidents, meaning the government cannot make a final determination about the nature of the observed phenomena."

It added, "We welcome the application of analysis, intelligence, and expertise from the private sector [based on the data]," and "We will continue to provide separate reports on resolved UAP incidents."

President Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social on the same day, stating, "As part of an effort toward complete and total transparency, I am honored to have directed my administration to identify and provide any and all government files related to aliens, extraterrestrial life, UAPs, and UFOs."

President Trump added, "While previous administrations were not transparent on this subject, these new documents and videos released will allow the people to determine for themselves 'what is really going on'," and "I hope you enjoy looking at it and enjoy it."

American Indo-Pacific Command captured a football-shaped UAP over Japan in 2024 [U.S. Department of Defense Website]