Media investigation suggests Russian Intelligence unit may be responsible for Havana syndrome – US News

According to a recent joint media investigation, US diplomats affected by the mysterious “Havana syndrome” may have been targeted by Russian sonic weaponry.

In 2016, US diplomatic staff in Havana, Cuba’s capital, began reporting symptoms like headaches, ringing in the ears, and cognitive dysfunction.

Similar symptoms were also reported by embassy staff in China, Europe, and Washington DC.

Various theories have been proposed to explain the cause, including the use of directed energy weapons by a hostile state.

Despite the CIA previously ruling out foreign involvement in most cases, the new investigation suggests a Russian intelligence unit, possibly Unit 29155, may be responsible.

The year-long investigation by The Insider, Der Spiegel, and CBS’s 60 Minutes uncovered evidence linking the Havana syndrome to directed energy weapons potentially used by members of Unit 29155.

However, Moscow has denied these allegations, calling them baseless.

The focus of the investigation is on Unit 29155, a covert Russian intelligence unit known for destabilizing activities in European countries and foreign assassinations.

Members of this unit have been implicated in incidents involving US personnel, and some have been recognized for their work on “non-lethal acoustic weapons”.

The issue first arose in 2016 when US officials in Cuba reported bizarre sounds and sensations followed by unexplained illnesses.

Over the years, hundreds of US officials have reported similar incidents in multiple countries, with Russia being a leading suspect according to some intelligence officials.

A report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2020 suggested that some observed brain injuries were consistent with the effects of directed microwave energy.

In 2022, the CIA released an interim assessment stating that the syndrome was not orchestrated by a hostile power and ruled out foreign involvement in most cases.

However, foreign involvement could not be ruled out in some cases.

Additionally, a report by seven US intelligence agencies deemed a foreign adversary’s involvement as “very unlikely”.

Other studies have suggested mass psychogenic illness as a possible explanation, citing the stress of working in hostile environments as a contributing factor.