Scientists at Ukraine's Main Astronomical Observatory reported observing more than 20 unidentified objects moving near and across the moon during observation periods in 2025, according to a study that has not been peer-reviewed. The team said the objects could indicate a technologically advanced nonhuman civilization.
Observations occurred on Sept. 7, 2025, and Aug. 16, 2025, using a high-speed telescope camera in Vinarivka, a village in Ukraine's Kyiv region. The study estimated that some disc-shaped objects measured between 15 and 25 miles across. "UFOs are observed on Earth and in near-Earth space. We believe that the moon serves as a base for UFOs," the team wrote.
Independent verification has not been reported. NASA and the U.S. government have long maintained that while some sightings remain unexplained, none has been confirmed to involve extraterrestrial technology.
Observation Details
The high-speed camera captured 20 images per second, according to the study, allowing researchers to track objects that otherwise would have been nearly impossible to see. Some objects appeared as faint as a two-by-two-pixel speck against the lunar disk. The team divided the objects into two categories: "atmospheric" objects, which appeared stationary and moved in sync with the moon, and "continental" objects, which appeared to move across the lunar surface.
One continental object reportedly traveled nearly 14 miles at 4.1 miles per second, the study said. Two other objects appeared to be discs roughly 16 miles and 25 miles across. In a separate observation on Aug. 16, 2025, the team reported ring-shaped objects measuring about 22 miles across that completed a full rotation every three minutes and reached speeds of 6.8 miles per second.
The objects also displayed rapid brightness changes, with flashes lasting between one-tenth and half a second in repeating patterns, according to the report.
Claims and Uncertainties
The researchers argued that the observed patterns could indicate structured, technological behavior, and raised the possibility of a hidden base on the moon. Two objects believed to be hundreds of miles apart appeared to flash in unison; the team called the link statistically significant but said it does not prove communication or intelligent control. Using reflected light, the scientists estimated the objects could measure about 1,440 feet across if fully reflective, or more than one mile wide if their surfaces reflected light like the moon. The study acknowledged that their composition and reflectivity were unknown, leaving their true size uncertain.
The findings rest on the assumption that the faint shapes were genuine objects rather than atmospheric distortions, camera artifacts or image-processing errors, according to the report. Historical UFO reports have sometimes been resolved as misidentifications; one astronomy guide notes that many sightings in the 1950s came from people unfamiliar with the night sky [3].
Decades of sightings have left some researchers urging continued study. Walter Sullivan, in his book on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, wrote that scientist James E. McDonald argued that UFOs were "one of the greatest scientific puzzles of our time" [4].
Official Position and Verification Status
The study has not been peer-reviewed, and its claims of giant, technologically advanced craft have not been independently confirmed. NASA and the U.S. government have long maintained that no sighting has been confirmed to involve extraterrestrial technology. There is no scientific evidence of aliens or artificial structures on the moon, according to the report.
Recent government actions have focused on disclosure. In February 2026, President Donald Trump directed the Department of War to declassify and release government files on unidentified aerial phenomena and unidentified flying objects [1]. The Pentagon later described a 2026 release of thousands of documents as a "historic transparency effort" [2].
The first tranche of declassified UAP and UFO files was released in May 2026 [6]. Members of the UFO community said they were still waiting for definitive answers after the release [5]. The Ukrainian researchers maintained that the objects' apparently intelligent behavior could point to a "technologically advanced civilization," according to the study.
Conclusion
The Ukrainian observations remain unreplicated by other observatories, and the paper remains subject to scientific review. The team said the objects could reach Earth within 20 minutes and appear in the atmosphere as UAPs, but no independent confirmation has been reported.
Until independent observations or peer review address the image-processing and artifact questions, the report's central claim — that the moon may host a base for unidentified craft — remains unverified, according to the study itself.
References
- Kevin Hughes. "We'll Soon Learn If Aliens Are Real: Trump Orders War Department UFO Disclosure". NaturalNews.com. February 28, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Pentagon declassifies thousands of UFO files in historic transparency push". NaturalNews.com. May 16, 2026.
- "Sharing the Sky A Parent's and Teacher's Guide to Astronomy".
- Walter Sullivan. "We are not alone: the continuing search for extraterrestrial intelligence".
- BBC News. "The UFO community has been waiting for answers. Has the Pentagon delivered?". BBC.com. May 9, 2026.
- Zero Hedge. "Trump Administration Drops First Batch Of UAP/UFO Files". zerohedge.com. May 8, 2026.
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