The previous head of the Pentagon’s investigation into the mysterious well being incidents often called Havana Syndrome informed the CBS investigation present “60 Minutes” he believes Russia was behind them and was attacking U.S. officers overseas and at dwelling.
In partnership with The Insider, a Russian exile media outlet, and German journal Der Spiegel, 60 Minutes reported Sunday evening on new proof connecting a doable home incident of Havana Syndrome to Russia and recognized a Russian army intelligence unit, recognized as 29155, because the doable wrongdoer of a few of the suspected assaults, the most recent flip in a case that has confounded U.S. spy businesses.
Havana Syndrome acquired its title from town the place U.S. and Canadian diplomats and intelligence officers first reported in 2016 experiencing unusual noises and sensations of strain, and later developed debilitating signs like vertigo, migraines and listening to and cognitive issues. The incidents have been later reported around the globe, which led to suspicions {that a} international adversary, probably Russia, was attacking U.S. diplomats and spies with some sort of directed power weapon.
Although U.S. intelligence officers initially suspected Russia’s army intelligence, recognized by the initials GRU, U.S. intelligence businesses mentioned in March that they hadn’t discovered laborious proof pointing to these accountable and that it was unlikely {that a} international adversary has been attacking American officers around the globe.
However the incidents haven’t stopped.
In line with 60 Minutes, a beforehand unreported “anomalous well being incident” — the federal government time period for the Havana Syndrome — on the NATO summit in Lithuania final 12 months attended by President Joe Biden left a senior Pentagon official searching for medical care.
Greg Edgreen, who ran the investigation into Havana Syndrome for the Protection Intelligence Company from 2021-23, mentioned that because of the incidents, U.S. officers overseas have been “neutralized.”
When requested by the present’s host, journalist Scott Pelley, if he thought the US is being attacked, he answered, “My private opinion, sure.” “By whom?” Pelley requested.
“By Russia,” Edgreen mentioned.
Edgreen warned that there are “no boundaries on what Moscow will do,” however he mentioned that in each the Trump and Biden administrations, the bar to attribute these incidents to Russia was too excessive “as a result of we didn’t, as a rustic, and a authorities, need to face some very laborious truths,” specifically what to do after such a conclusion.
One other suspected assault that occurred in Florida additionally factors to a Russian hyperlink, 60 Minutes reported.
An lively unnamed FBI agent informed the present she skilled one in all these incidents in Florida in 2021 and a 12 months later in California.
In line with 60 Minutes the agent, recognized on the present solely as Carrie, had been investigating a suspected Russian spy who had come to the US as a chef, Vitalii Kovalev. He was arrested for dashing at 110 mph within the Florida Keys in June 2020. A video of the arrest obtained by CBS reveals that the police discovered notes about a number of financial institution accounts, his Russian passport, and a tool that may erase the automotive’s laptop, together with its GPS document.
The 2 incidents severely affecting the FBI agent’s well being occurred when Kovalev was in jail.
The chef turned out to be a Russian army electrical engineer with a high safety clearance, Christo Grozev, a journalist with The Insider discovered. Beforehand, as the highest investigative journalist for Bellingcat, the open-source investigation outlet, Grozez uncovered the identities of the Russian operatives who tried to poison the previous Russian spy Sergei Skripal and the late Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny.
Kovalev traveled again to Russia after serving a 30-month sentence within the U.S. for evading police and reckless driving, and is believed to have died combating in Ukraine.
Grozev additionally discovered a bit of accounting linking a high secret GRU unit, 29155, to the usage of non-lethal acoustic weapons and extra proof inserting members of the unit in Tbilisi, Georgia, when People reported incidents there in 2021.
U.S. intelligence businesses beforehand mentioned Havana Syndrome might be defined away by environmental components, earlier circumstances or stress. However the CIA and different federal businesses are additionally paying compensation to these officers injured around the globe after authorities medical doctors licensed that they did undergo mind accidents that don’t have any recognized rationalization.
The Protection Division continues to be investigating the “anomalous well being incidents,” which they deal with as “counterintelligence incidents,” and its medical doctors have developed protocols to deal with Havana Syndrome victims. After gathering testimonies from the victims, the Home Intelligence Committee has additionally launched a proper investigation into how U.S. intelligence businesses dealt with the Havana Syndrome Investigation.
Mark Zaid, a lawyer for a dozen Havana Syndrome victims, informed 60 Minutes that there’s proof of a authorities “cover-up.”
Sources informed the Herald that lots of the officers injured have been concerned in work associated to Russia or have been stationed in locations the place Russian spies may work with ease, like Cuba, China, Vietnam and most of Europe. Some incidents in Hanoi, Bogota, London and India occurred forward of or in the course of the visits by senior U.S. officers.
Cuba, a detailed Russian army companion, has denied it has any involvement in these incidents and Cuban diplomats and scientists have insisted that accidents are psychosomatic, a case of mass hysteria or will be defined by pre-existing circumstances.
After the Miami Herald reported on the cases of CIA brokers receiving compensation for mind accidents linked to Havana Syndrome circumstances, Cuba’s Vice Overseas Affairs Minister wrote on X: “With none disgrace, pundits & most important media shops proceed to recycle the fabulous legend of “assaults” in opposition to US diplomats. No proof has surfaced, the scientific neighborhood has descarted it (sic), but there’s cash to be made & political slander in opposition to #Cuba to be pushed.”
