Have "They" Arrived?

On the evening of August 22, 2024, the sky over Baku was not its usual self. Residents of the Azerbaijani capital observed something strange—an object moving silently, steadily, and with an air of mystery that has sparked curiosity and concern in equal measure. Described by onlookers as a flying saucer, the object had a distinctly rounded and flattened shape, light brown in color, and appeared to glide over the city at a relatively low altitude.

What set this particular sighting apart was its behavior. The UFO emitted no light, no sound, and showed no apparent intent. Unlike the whirring propellers of drones or the thunderous roar of aircraft engines, this object moved in eerie silence, neither speeding up nor slowing down, its trajectory unnervingly straight. By all accounts, it did not resemble any known form of aviation technology. Helicopters and planes could be ruled out. And even the ubiquitous quadcopter drones, which have become a fixture of modern life, did not match the shape or movement of the strange craft.

A video, shot by local resident Mahmud Mahmudov, has added to the intrigue. Uploaded to Facebook, the footage has quickly gone viral, with tens of thousands viewing and debating its authenticity. The object in question seems almost impossible to explain—there are no visible propellers, no clear propulsion system, just a rounded disk moving through the air. “I thought it might be a quadcopter,” Mahmudov said in a post accompanying the video. “But there’s no sign of the rotors, and at that height, you’d definitely be able to see them.”

This is not the first time unusual objects have been seen in Azerbaijan's skies. Sightings were recorded in 2019, 2020, and 2023, leading to speculation about extraterrestrial visitors, advanced military technology, or simply a new kind of drone yet to be revealed to the public. However, each time the sightings occurred, attempts to identify the mysterious crafts have come up short.

Specialists from the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory, the nation’s leading astronomical institution, have consistently denied that they have registered any unusual activity in the skies. “Nothing that would suggest the presence of an unidentified flying object,” one astrophysicist at the observatory stated, adding that without further data, it was impossible to draw definitive conclusions.

Still, residents remain unconvinced. “It just doesn’t add up,” says Aysel Guliyeva, who also witnessed the event. “Every time we see one of these, they tell us it’s nothing. But it feels like there’s something more going on.”

In an age where government agencies like the Pentagon are beginning to take UFO sightings more seriously, some in Baku wonder if their latest sighting is part of a larger, global phenomenon. Others are more skeptical, suggesting that the explanation lies in new, experimental drones, weather phenomena, or simply a series of elaborate hoaxes.

But for now, the residents of Baku are left with more questions than answers. Has "they" arrived? Or is this yet another unsolved mystery destined to fade into the background of Azerbaijan's clear, summer skies?

For now, the truth remains—up there.