According to a joint media investigation introduced on April 1, a Russian intelligence unit has been connected to the unknown symptoms of “Havana Syndrome” that U.S. diplomats have been experiencing in recent years.
The first mention of Havana Syndrome occurred in 2016. This was when American diplomats posted in the Cuban capital reported feeling unwell and hearing piercing noises at night. It led to rumors that a foreign force had attacked using an unidentified sonar weapon. Embassy employees in China and Europe reported other symptoms, such as bloody noses, headaches, and visual issues.
The combined report by Insider, Der Spiegel, and CBS’s 60 Minutes, Russian sonic weapons may have been used to target the diplomats. It further says, “The year-long inquiry’s uncovered information suggesting that members of (the Russian GRU) Unit 29155 may have used directed energy weapons to cause unexplained abnormal health incidents, also known as Havana Syndrome.”
The Russian unit 29155 is in charge of activities abroad and has been implicated in several international crises. This also includes the 2018 attempt to poison defector Sergei Skripal in Britain.
On Monday, Moscow called the accusations “groundless.”
“This subject has been discussed in the media for a long time… However, no solid proof has ever been released. Therefore, this is all just baseless speculation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated at a press briefing.
Points On Havana Syndrome
U.S. officials have also referred to the mystery ailment as “Anomalous Health Incidents” (AHI).
- Severe headaches, feeling dizzy, nausea, and ear pain are some of the symptoms.
- Two large National Institutes of Health studies released last month showed no evidence of brain impairment among people suspected of having Havana Syndrome.
- In an accompanying editorial, David Relman, a scientist at Stanford University who has headed earlier study on the disease, criticized the findings. He pointed out that they go against several earlier findings.
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