Russia accused of attacking US citizens with 'brain waves'

 DC Daily Journal:

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A mystery “Havana Syndrome” that has left more than 100 U.S. diplomats, White House officials, intelligence officers, and their families with unexplained brain injury symptoms could be the work of a hidden Russian hit squad, according to a shocking new investigation.

According to a year-long investigation by the Latvia-based Insider in collaboration with CBS’ 60 Minutes and Germany’s Der Spiegel, members of Russian military intelligence unit 29155, who allegedly have access to microwave or ultrasound weapons, were stationed at the sites of reported attacks that resulted in health problems for U.S. personnel.

Furthermore, the investigation suggests that Russian spies may have targeted Americans in the United States as well as abroad.

Christo Grozev, the head of investigations at The Insider, claimed on 60 Minutes that he discovered accounting records indicating that a 29155 officer received a bonus for work linked to the creation of “non-lethal acoustic weapons.”

“It’s the closest to a receipt you can have for this,” the veteran journalist said.

The Havana Syndrome, so termed because it was initially reported in 2016 by U.S. embassy staff in Cuba’s capital, remains a mystery.

Those affected report a variety of symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, and other side effects typical of traumatic brain injuries.

The report comes despite a U.S. intelligence probe last year, which concluded that it was “very unlikely” that a foreign opponent was to blame for the symptoms.

Unit 29155 has apparently been operating around the world since 2008 and is suspected of carrying out acts of sabotage aimed at disrupting Western European governments, as well as high-profile assassination attempts on Kremlin rivals.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Major General Andrei Averyanov leads the top-secret squad, which is headquartered in suburban Moscow.

Operatives have been linked to the attempted poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with the nerve toxin “Novichok” in England in 2018.

The same Russian intelligence officials who reportedly carried out the bungled Skripal assassination, were named by the open-source investigative outfit Bellingcat as Aleksandr Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga, and were also accused of being behind a 2014 blast at a Czech weapons dump.

In October 2016, officers from Unit 29155 allegedly planned a failed pro-Serbian coup in Montenegro, which included a forceful takeover of the country’s parliament and assassination of the prime minister in order to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO.

The Insider’s investigation purportedly turned up evidence of Unit 29155’s presence in Tbilisi, Georgia, in the fall of 2021, when several American officials and their families experienced strange health difficulties.
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The suspicion that Russia is up to something appears to be accurate.  There is no indication of what kind of defensive measures the US is using to deal with the attacks.  They should consider high-tech ear muffs to block the signals for those effected.