The mysterious “Havana syndrome” illness that has affected US diplomats and officials around the world may be related to energy weapons used by members of a Russian military intelligence sabotage team, according to the Insider media group.
A U.S. intelligence review revealed last year concluded that it was “very unlikely” that a foreign enemy was responsible for the illness, which was originally reported by U.S. embassy personnel in the Cuban capital Havana in 2016.
However, Insider, a Russia-focused investigative media organization located in Riga, Latvia, stated that members of a Russian military intelligence (GRU) unit known as 29155 had been stationed around the sites of suspected health issues involving the US officials.
The year-long Insider investigation, conducted in partnership with 60 Minutes and Germany’s Der Spiegel, also revealed that senior members of Unit 29155 earned honors and promotions for their contributions to the development of “non-lethal acoustic weapons”.
Russia had previously denied any involvement
Symptoms of the disease include migraines, nausea, memory lapses, and dizziness. According to the Insider article, the first case of “Havana Syndrome” symptoms may have occurred before 2016. It said, “There were likely attacks two years earlier in Frankfurt, Germany, when a U.S. government employee stationed at the consulate there was knocked unconscious by something akin to a strong energy beam”. Russia has previously denied any involvement.
In 2021, the United States Congress passed the Havana Act, which authorizes the State Department, CIA, and other US government agencies to offer compensation to employees and their families who have been impacted by the illness while on assignment.