Why in news: According to joint media intelligence, members of a Russian military intelligence unit could target the brains of US officials using “directed energy” weapons. The Kremlin rejected a joint media investigation that found evidence that a Russian military intelligence unit may have been responsible for a mysterious health condition known as ‘Havana Syndrome’ that has affected US diplomats and spies around the world.
Introduction:
What did the investigation find?
The inquiry suggests that operatives from a Russian military intelligence unit known as 29155 may have targeted U.S. officials’ brains using “directed energy” weapons. This unit, active for over ten years, has faced allegations of engaging in assassination, subversion, and sabotage abroad.
The investigation reveals evidence indicating the presence of unit 29155 members at locations where suspected attacks on U.S. government personnel and their families overseas occurred. It further notes that the initial incident likely occurred in Germany, two years before the 2016 reports from Havana.
What is Havana syndrome?
Havana Syndrome is described as a collection of psychological and physical symptoms reported by United States embassy and intelligence personnel stationed in various nations. The term “syndrome” denotes a group of symptoms frequently occurring together, without implying a singular, identifiable medical condition, but rather pointing to a constellation of symptoms with potentially elusive origins.
The symptoms associated with Havana Syndrome include experiencing specific sounds without any external source, nausea, dizziness, headaches, memory lapses, and balance issues.
Originating in Cuba around late 2016, shortly after the United States re-established its embassy in Havana in 2015 as part of a normalization of diplomatic relations, certain US intelligence operatives and embassy staff reported experiencing sudden, intense pressures in their heads, accompanied by lasting headaches, disorientation, and difficulty sleeping.
Where has Havana syndrome been reported?
2017 Incident in Uzbekistan: Before the Guangzhou case, a USAID employee at the US Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, reported symptoms in September 2017, indicating the global reach of these incidents.
2018 Reports in China: The phenomenon spread with US diplomats in China reporting similar symptoms, beginning with a notable case in April 2018 at the Guangzhou consulate. An American consulate employee disclosed experiencing these symptoms since late 2017, marking one of the first instances outside of Cuba.
2019 and 2020 Incidents in the US: The United States itself was not spared, with incidents reported within its borders, notably in Washington DC. One such incident occurred at The Ellipse, a park near the White House.
Global Reports: Over the subsequent years, more than 130 instances have been reported worldwide, spanning continents and including locations such as Moscow, Russia; Poland; Georgia; Taiwan; Colombia; Kyrgyzstan; Uzbekistan; and Austria.
2021 Delay for Vice-President Harris: New York Times report highlighted the delay of US Vice-President Kamala Harris’s flight to Hanoi, Vietnam, by three hours. This delay was attributed to a US official in Vietnam reporting Havana Syndrome symptoms, underscoring the syndrome’s impact at high levels of government.
First Case in India in 2021: India reported its first case in 2021, involving a US intelligence officer traveling to New Delhi with CIA director William Burns, further demonstrating the global and pervasive nature of these incidents.
Investigations and Theories:
- In 2020, the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) suggested directed microwave radiation as a plausible cause.
- Microwave weapons or Direct Energy Weapons (DEWs) were considered potential sources, capable of causing symptoms by heating body water.
International Development of DEWs:
- China displayed its microwave weapon, Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014.
- The U.S. developed the “Active Denial System,” a non-lethal, directed-energy counter-personnel system.
Shift in Understanding and Assessments:
January 2022: CIA interim assessment concluded Havana Syndrome is not from a global campaign by a hostile power; foreign involvement was ruled out in 976 out of 1,000 cases.
February 2022: Reports suggested many incidents could be stress or psychosomatic reactions; directed energy attacks unlikely.
March 2023: U.S. intelligence agencies reported foreign adversary involvement was “very unlikely.”
March 2024: NIH studies found no evidence of brain injury, abnormal blood biomarkers, or vocational impairment in affected individuals.
Continued Research and Speculation:
- Despite assessments, the Pentagon funded experiments to recreate symptoms using RF waves.
- 60 Minutes report in March 2024 linked Russian GRU Unit 29155 to the incidents, though official reports and studies have largely moved away from attributing the syndrome to foreign attacks.
Causes of Havana syndrome
Psychological Origin:
Scientists suggest that most cases of Havana syndrome may be psychogenic, possibly resulting from somatic symptom disorder, conversion disorder, or mass psychotic illness, evidence of attacks by enemy states, or medical evidence of brain/health damage. Citing the absence of.
Stress from working in former Cold War adversary countries and anxiety from potential surveillance have been suggested as causes of some cases, with some symptoms possibly being manifestations of PTSD.
Political and Cold War effects:
Psychological explanations have been suggested less by American politicians, who may prefer the story of attacks by foreign powers such as Cuba, Russia, and China for political gain. The Trump administration in particular has been accused of using this narrative to strain US–Cuba relations.
A March 2024 “60 Minutes” report provided the first direct evidence linking Russian military intelligence unit 29155 to the events.
Financial Incentives: There are suggestions that there may be financial motives in cases of Havana syndrome, with affected individuals and medical professionals potentially benefiting from the story of alien attacks. The Havana Act, offering up to $187,000 in compensation to victims, has been cited as an example.
Professional and Media Reports: Concern over professional backlash may cause some scientists to avoid endorsing the psychological hypothesis, preferring instead the theory of attacks by hostile forces.
Media coverage has been criticized for potentially supporting a more sensational narrative of alien attacks rather than a psychological explanation, with some commenting on the coverage regarding the directed energy weapon theory as highly credible.
Critics of the media’s handling of Havana syndrome suggest a bias towards security-related reporting rather than health-focused analysis. Interpretation of the JAMA studies as evidence of brain damage has been contested, suggesting that embracing psychological understanding may aid recovery.
Attacks by hostile foreign powers: Early theories speculated on a sonic weapon by opponents, although later investigations questioned the ability of sound waves to cause the reported symptoms and suggested poor monitoring equipment or natural sources such as crickets. Guided electromagnetic weapons were also speculated as the cause.
Despite the lack of conclusive evidence for hostile attacks or electromagnetic energy-generating symptoms, a “60 Minutes” report in March 2024 claimed Russian involvement through GRU Unit 29155.
Environmental factors:
Some cases of Havana syndrome have been attributed to environmental toxins or pesticides, suggesting a non-psychotic, non-hostile origin for some symptoms.