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What is "Havana syndrome"? -

"Havana syndrome" refers to a series of mysterious symptoms experienced by US diplomats, intelligence officers, military attachés, and members of their families stationed in overseas locations. The malady is named after the Cuban capital of Havana, where the unexplained phenomenon was first reported in 2016.

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US embassy in Havana, Cuba -

That year, 2016, US embassy officials in Havana started experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, and nausea. They also complained of hearing piercing noises, sounds that became more intense and painful at night.

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US consulate, Frankfurt -

As reports of this strange health issue spread throughout the US diplomatic community, it became apparent that staff at the US consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, had in fact experienced similar symptoms two years earlier.

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Hotel Nacional in Havana -

Meanwhile back in Havana, visiting US government employees had reportedly experienced the syndrome while staying at the historic Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

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US diplomats targeted in China -

The mystery surrounding the unidentified illness deepened in late 2017 when US diplomats in China began reporting symptoms consistent with Havana syndrome.

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US embassy in Tashkent -

In September 2017, a USAID employee and his wife stationed at the US embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, allegedly fell victim to what was described as an acoustic attack, according to CBS News. The incident raised suspicions that Russia may have been involved and that Moscow was also responsible for the bizarre maladies experienced by the diplomats in Cuba.

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Sonic weapons -

The US State Department concluded that the health problems were either the result of a sonic attack or due to exposure to an unknown device, but declined to blame the Cuban government.

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"Very unusual attack" -

However, in October 2017, President Donald Trump said he believed that Cuba was responsible for the occurrences, calling them a "very unusual attack." But he offered no evidence to back his claim.

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Canada pulls out of Cuba -

In early 2018, the Canadian government was sufficiently concerned for the welfare of its diplomatic staff that it ended family postings to Cuba and withdrew all staff with families.

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Washington, D.C. feels the effects -

The following year, the syndrome was blamed for the debilitating symptoms experienced by a National Security Council official while walking on the Ellipse, a lawn adjacent to the south side of the White House, an incident reported on by CNN.

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InterContinental London Park Lane -

Also in 2019, another hotel, this time the plush five-star InterContinental London Park Lane, was identified as the location of the Havana syndrome-like symptoms reported by three visiting White House staffers.

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Suspicion points towards Russia -

While US intelligence services still could not determine the cause of the symptoms, government officials again expressed their suspicions that Russian military intelligence was responsible. Meanwhile, more cases of Havana syndrome were being reported around the world.

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US embassy in Vienna -

In 2021, dozens of US personnel stationed in Vienna, Austria, had Havana syndrome-like symptoms.

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US embassy in Berlin -

Cases of Havana syndrome were reported at the US embassy in Berlin, Germany, including from two American officials who sought medical treatment.

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US embassy in Hanoi -

In August 2021, it was reported that two American diplomats were evacuated from the US embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, after incidents of Havana syndrome were declared.

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US embassy in Bogota -

And in October 2021, Havana syndrome was blamed on the symptoms experienced by US embassy personnel and their families in Bogota, Colombia.

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Risk of brain injury -

Possibly up to 1,500 American officials at home and abroad have suffered brain and other injuries in recent years as a result of Havana syndrome, claims the Foreign Policy Research Institute, adding that the effects of sonic weaponry is the likely cause.

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What are sonic weapons? -

Sonic and ultrasonic weapons are weapons of various types that use sound to injure or incapacitate an opponent. They can be designed to deliver painful audible or inaudible sound waves, or to act more like very loud voice amplifiers to deliver voice messages or other sounds. Pictured is a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy in riot gear standing ready to use a sound cannon, or long-range acoustic device (LRAD), against protesters near a rally.

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The damage done -

The attacks in Cuba affected nearly two dozen workers, causing unexplained headaches, dizziness, cognitive issues, and sleep loss.

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Identifying the cause -

In an effort to try and identify the source of Havana syndrome, a team of computer scientists from the University of Michigan concluded that ultrasound—specifically, intermodulation distortion from multiple inaudible ultrasonic signals—from malfunctioning or improperly placed Cuban surveillance equipment could have been the origin of the reported sounds.

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Claims dismissed by scientists -

But in September 2021 a panel of 16 scientists affiliated with the Cuban Academy of Sciences effectively condemned the idea of a sonic weapon attack by concluding, "No known form of energy can selectively cause brain damage (with laser-like spatial accuracy) under the conditions described for the alleged incidents in Havana."

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Blame the crickets -

And what about those strange noises? Well as far back as 2019, American and British biologists had already concluded the sounds were the calling song of the Indies short-tailed cricket (Anurogryllus celerinictus) rather than a technological device, according to recordings obtained by the Associated Press. Pictured is a near relative, the field cricket (Gryllus campestris).

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Hostile power not responsible -

In January 2022, the CIA issued an interim assessment concluding that the syndrome is not the result of "a sustained global campaign by a hostile power."

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The Moscow Signal -

Sceptics, however, were quick to recall a series of historically documented Soviet technical operations against the US embassy in Moscow (pictured) that began in 1953 and lasted for decades. The so-called Moscow Signal was a microwave transmission pointed towards the US embassy that powered an espionage device that wasn't detected until 1976. There were no significant health effects on embassy staff, although this conclusion has been disputed, according to the journal Reviews on Environmental Health.

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"Anomalous health incidents" -

The US government has not overtly accused Russia of being behind the Havana syndrome, though US intelligence officials privately call the events "attacks" but publicly call them "anomalous health incidents."

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No credible evidence -

In March 2023, a report published by the House Intelligence Committee reiterated its belief that "there is no credible evidence that a foreign adversary has a weapon or collection device that is causing AHIs [Anomalous Health Incidents]."

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"Many different possible causes" -

In its 2023 assessment regarding Havana syndrome, US government officials said: "There is no one explanation for these incidents. Instead, there are many different possible causes including environmental as well as social factors and preexisting medical conditions." And there the matter rested until a sensational new report released in 2024 pointed the finger towards Russia as being very likely responsible for the Havana syndrome.

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The GRU Unit 29155 -

A yearlong investigation by The Insider, in collaboration with '60 Minutes' and Der Spiegel, has uncovered evidence suggesting that unexplained anomalous health incidents, also known as Havana syndrome, may have their origin in the use of directed energy weapons wielded by members of the shadowy Russian military intelligence unit known as GRU Unit 29155 that only answers to Vladimir Putin.

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New allegations of Russian involvement -

Released on March 31, 2024, the report alleges GRU Unit 29155 is connected to cases of Havana syndrome and that senior members of the unit received awards and promotions for work related to the development of "non-lethal acoustic weapons."

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Kremlin denies responsibility -

Predictably, Moscow immediately dismissed the allegations. "Nobody has ever published any convincing evidence, so all this is nothing more than a groundless and unfounded accusation," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a press conference.

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Cause still unknown -

And in the wake of the new media investigation, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre continued to back a March 2023 report by the National Intelligence Council that states that an enemy adversary was unlikely. However, the US government concedes that it has not officially recognized a cause for the syndrome.

Sources: (Foreign Policy Research Institute) (CBS News) (The Guardian) (CNN) (AP) (NBC News) (History) (Reviews on Environmental Health)

See also: What was the fake disease that saved dozens of Jews during WWII?

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