Kremlin ‘responsible for’ Havana Syndrome

A SECRETIVE Russian intelligence unit may have been responsible for Havana Syndrome, the debilitating sickness which has struck US diplomats, spies, contractors and their families, an investigation has found.

Research by The Insider, an independent Russian investigative website, the German news magazine Der Spiegel and the CBS series 60 Minutes has pinned the blame on Unit 29155. Members of the unit are alleged to have used sonic weapons, using radio frequencies, to target their victims’ brains.

Dubbed “Havana Syndrome” after staff at the US embassy in Cuba started complaining of the sickness in 2016, victims have suffered mysterious health issues including hearing loss, insomnia, memory loss, poor balance and inability to concentrate. Victims complained of ear pain and pressure in their heads.

Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist, identified the alleged assailant as Albert Averyanov, who, according to intelligence sources, is the son of Unit 29155’s founder.

Mark Lenzl, a victim of Havana Syndrome and a State Department official, has little doubt the Russians were responsible for the attack. He added: “US government personnel behind closed doors have acknowledged to me that my and my family’s diagnosed traumatic brain injuries are due to exposure to high levels of pulsed microwave radiation.”

Mark Zaid, a lawyer representing many of the victims, accused the US government of concealing the truth.

“It has been so distressing to see how much effort our government has undertaken to cover up the true details of these attacks, no doubt perpetrated by a foreign adversary,” Mr Zaid said.

Greg Edgreen, who ran a Pentagon investigation into the attacks, had little doubt Russia was responsible, and said “consistently there was a Russia nexus. There was some angle where they had worked against Russia, focused on Russia, and done extremely well”.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence disputed his conclusion. In a statement, it said the incidents “were the result of factors that did not involve a foreign adversary.”