Russia is main suspect in mysterious brain attacks on US diplomats in China and Cuba, NBC reports
The claim that Moscow is behind the strange illnesses that have stricken US diplomats has been dismissed by the Trump administration, which says investigations are ongoing
Russia is the main suspect in US agencies’ investigation of mysterious illnesses in American personnel in Cuba and China, NBC News reported on Tuesday.
Evidence from communications intercepts has pointed to Moscow’s involvement during the investigation involving the FBI, CIA and other agencies, NBC reported, citing three unidentified US officials and two other people briefed on the probe.
The evidence, however, is not conclusive enough for the United States to assign blame publicly to Moscow, according to the NBC report.
The Trump administration dismissed the reported Russia link and said people should be “sceptical” about the sourcing of the story. FBI and CIA officials did not immediately return a request for comment on the report.
US officials said in July that they are still investigating health problems at the US embassy in Cuba, and do not know who or what was behind the mysterious illnesses, which began in 2016 and have affected 26 Americans.
Symptoms have included hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, headaches and fatigue, a pattern consistent with “mild traumatic brain injury,” State Department officials have said.
The State Department said in June it brought a group of diplomats home from Guangzhou, China, over concern they were suffering from a mysterious malady resembling brain injury.