An investigation into a mysterious illness that's been affecting US national security officials and their families has been linked to Russia, marking another development in the five-year inquiry.
The illness is called "Havana Syndrome" and can cause dizziness, fatigue, memory loss and impaired vision. A joint investigation by The Insider, Der Spiegal and CBS's 60 Minutes suggested those afflicted with the illness fell victim to Russian sonic weaponry. Those who believe they have experienced the strange illness opened up during the show about their experiences.
However, Moscow has scoffed at the allegations and US officials said it's unlikely that a foreign power is afflicting US citizens. Those findings were reported last year, so people suffering from "anomalous health incidents" (AHI) have been eagerly awaiting another explanation—a lack thereof has led to frustration.
READ MORE: What is Havana Syndrome? Signs, symptoms and causes of new illness
Additionally, there is a split among the different intelligence agencies involved as they each have varying levels of trust in the inquiry, according to American officials. Scott Pelley and his team of producers, who have been conducting the investigation, appeared on 60 Minutes this week to speak about their findings.
They reportedly found a link between attacks in Tbilisi, Georgia and a top-secret Russian intelligence unit, asserting that the aforementioned Russian group conducted acoustic weapon testing. A source claimed the producers were able to acquire "a receipt."
Lt. Col. Greg Edgreen, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who spearheaded the Pentagon investigations into AHIs, said he wholeheartedly believes Russia is behind the illnesses, claiming its a part of an over-arching scheme to neutralise US personnel. He said: "If my mother had seen what I saw, she would say, 'It's the Russians, stupid'."
Mark Lenzi, a State Department security officer who worked in the US consulate in Guangzhou, China. He suffered from migraines and dizziness along with memory issues, with both he and his wife beginning to notice symptoms after hearing strange sounds in their apartment in 2017.
He described the sounds he heard as like a "marble" circling down a "metal funnel". Adding: "The sound, it's like nothing I've ever heard before...
"It was actually somewhat loud. I heard it about three or four times, always in the same spot, always over my son's crib, and always right before we would go to bed."
Mark told 60 Minutes he believed he was targeted due to his work that involved using top-secret equipment to analyse electronic threats to diplomatic missions. Speaking to Scott Pelley he said: "This was a directed standoff attack against my apartment... it was a weapon. I believe it's RF, radio frequency energy, in the microwave range."
Despite the varying reactions to their findings, producers Oriana Zill de Granados and Michael Rey maintain the belief the Kremlin is the culprit. They explained how the team had to dive deep into government secrecy to speak to victims, identify a potential technology used in the attacks, and probe a Russian intelligence unit that may have caused the Havana Syndrome incidents.
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Every milestone in the inquiry pointed to Russia, they said. "In the first story we said, 'Hmm. Is this Russia?' Second round of stories we felt, 'This is starting to look like Russia.' And in this story, our sources are telling us that it's Russia," producer Michael said.
In 2022, the team examined microwave technology that could've been used in the attacks. This was shortly after Olivia Troye, a former Homeland Security and counterterrorism adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence, said she was physically struck while going down the steps of the Eisenhower building, which was just a short distance away from the West Wing of the White House.
"It was like this piercing feeling on the side of my head…and I got like, vertigo. I was unsteady. I felt nauseous. I was somewhat disoriented," she told Scott Pelley. "I remember thinking like, 'OK…don't fall down the stairs. You've got to find your ground again and steady yourself.'"