Politico | Russian spy unit suspected of directed-energy attacks on US personnel
- CIA Director William Burns is now receiving daily briefings on the investigation, which is focused on potential involvement by the notorious GRU
- Victims report symptoms consistent with ‘Havana syndrome’, including headaches, loss of balance and hearing, ringing in the ears, and sometimes brain damage
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Lara Seligman and Andrew Desiderio on politico.com on May 10, 2021.
US officials suspect that a notorious Russian spy agency may be behind alleged attacks that are causing mysterious health issues among US government personnel across the world, according to three current and former officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.
Officials do not have a smoking gun linking Russia’s military intelligence unit, the GRU, to the suspected directed-energy incidents, said the people, who were not authorised to speak publicly. The intelligence community has not reached a consensus or made a formal determination.
However, officials have told lawmakers that they have intensified their investigation in recent weeks to include all 18 federal intelligence agencies, and that it is focused on the GRU’s potential involvement, according to a congressional official briefed on the matter.
02:01
Mystery illness that struck US diplomats in China and Cuba ‘likely caused by surveillance’
A White House spokesperson, who requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, emphasised that investigators do not yet know the cause of these incidents or whether they constitute an attack by foreign actors. However, the spokesperson said, these are areas of “active inquiry”, and the National Security Council is working with other agencies to address the “unexplained health incidents”.