What we know about Havana syndrome: Here’s what’s behind the mysterious symptoms in US diplomats

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Pulsating headaches, impaired vision, dizziness and nausea: approximately 1,000 American diplomats suffer from the so-called “Havana syndrome”.

Now it appears that a senior US Defense Department official experienced symptoms similar to those of the syndrome at last year’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. New research suggests that Russian intelligence services may be responsible for causing the symptoms. Blick answers the most important questions about the mysterious syndrome.

According to current knowledge, the first cases of Havana syndrome appeared in 2016 among CIA agents in the Cuban capital – hence the name. Numerous Canadian and American diplomats suffered from health problems such as dizziness, fatigue and headaches, as well as hearing and vision problems.

Since the Havana incident, more than 1,000 cases have been reported involving U.S. government officials around the world.

The cause of the symptoms has baffled US authorities and medical experts as they remain elusive: an FBI agent who suffered from the syndrome told US media that it felt like she had a dentist inside her. Drill your ear and do this “times 10”.

Brain scans of the victims showed tissue damage and volume loss similar to that seen in persistent concussion syndrome, but none of the people studied suffered head trauma.

The experts from the University of Pennsylvania commented on the results as follows: “The sounds could have been a coincidental side effect of another type of impact. For example, a device could have caused both the noise and the neurological damage.” A December 5, 2020 report cited focused pulsed radio frequency energy as the most likely cause of the symptoms.

Journalists from “The Insider”, CBS and “Spiegel” found evidence that members of special unit 29,155 of the Russian military intelligence service GRU could have caused the incidents. The Secret Service agents were investigating so-called acoustic weapons and microwave radiation. Some of the targeted operations are said to have been carried out via Switzerland. Cases of Havana syndrome have also occurred in the US Mission in Geneva.

Agents from Unit 29,155 are said to have tried to kill double agent Sergei Skripal (72) in southern England in 2018 with the nerve agent Novichok. Several of their names are now resurfacing in research into Havana syndrome.

Russia strongly rejects accusations of using energy weapons. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the report as “unfounded” and denied any involvement in the diplomats’ mysterious health problems.

In March 2023, several US intelligence agencies published a report describing the involvement of an ‘adversary state’ as ‘highly unlikely’. Nevertheless, officials acknowledged at the time: Those affected could have been hit by directed energy or microwaves fired from hidden devices.

Due to numerous patient complaints, the U.S. government has made numerous efforts in recent years to provide assistance to current and former workers suffering from Havana syndrome.

Source: Blick