Russian Involvement Suggested in Havana Syndrome and Alleged U.S. Cover-Up Uncovered in New Book

A recent investigation by the British news outlet, The Guardian, has reignited theories about Russian intelligence's potential role in the incidents collectively known as the Havana Syndrome. The report presents new accounts, links to Russian operatives, and information about a purported device capable of emitting pulsed microwaves. It also scrutinizes claims of a cover-up within the United States government, which a former CIA director has denied.

Published on Saturday, October 10, the report draws from exclusive interviews and early access to "The Havana Syndrome: Secret Weapons, a Government Cover-Up, and the Greatest Spy Mystery of Our Time," a book by Michael Rey and Oriana Zill de Granados. These producers of CBS's 60 Minutes, with a foreword by journalist Scott Pelley, are set to release the book through Crown on Tuesday, October 13, in the United States.

The authors suggest that Russia might have been behind some of the incidents affecting American diplomats and officials, questioning the intelligence agencies' reactions. Nonetheless, neither Russian involvement nor the use of a weapon has been conclusively proven.

Russian Intelligence Ties and Potential Connections to Cuba

One investigative angle explored by the report highlights Unit 29155 of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence, associated with covert operations globally. Investigative journalist Christo Grozev revealed that travel data leaks indicate at least four potential overlaps between the unit's movements and locations where unusual health incidents were reported.

Grozev also tracked trips to Cuba by individuals linked to what he described as a possible technical unit related to 29155 during the initial complaints in Havana. These matches don't independently confirm that these travelers were involved in attacks or that the Cuban regime was aware of an alleged operation.

The book, according to The Guardian's review, also details a CIA internal investigation that allegedly pinpointed phones linked to Russian agents near certain incident sites in 2019. One such device was reportedly within ten meters of a U.S. agent's hotel room in London. These claims stem from sources within the book, lacking public verification.

Dramatic Accounts from CIA Agents

One of the most striking accounts comes from a high-ranking CIA official working on Russian-related operations. In April 2019, while in London, he awoke with severe headache, sweating, disorientation, and loss of balance. The following day, he struggled to recall names of colleagues he routinely worked with.

Months later, during another trip to Warsaw, he experienced a similar but more intense episode, describing it as if being repeatedly struck on the head with a baseball bat. These persistent symptoms have impacted his health for years, but his account alone doesn't pinpoint the episode's cause.

Another case involves Marc Polymeropoulos, a former senior CIA figure, who reported severe vertigo and headaches after visiting Moscow in December 2017. He was later diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury in the U.S. and, in 2023, was granted compensation under the HAVANA Act. This recognition, however, doesn't identify the source of his symptoms.

Speculations on Microwave Devices

A significant revelation in the report is the alleged acquisition by the United States, in late 2024, of a portable device capable of emitting pulsed microwaves. Two sources informed The Guardian that the equipment was obtained in a covert operation and brought to the U.S. for study.

A book interviewee suggested the device came from a Russian illicit network. According to the report, animal tests reportedly produced symptoms similar to those described in certain health anomalies. However, the full technical details and test results remain undisclosed for independent evaluation.

The report emphasizes that this specific device isn't believed to have been used in any reported cases. If its characteristics are confirmed, it could technically support some hypotheses but wouldn't prove who caused the Havana incidents or those in other countries.

Conflicting Scientific Opinions and CIA's Denial of Cover-Up

David Relman, a Stanford professor who led a 2022 U.S. government-convened scientific panel, told The Guardian that a small number of cases might be best explained by exposure to pulsed microwave energy. The panel accessed medical records and numerous classified documents but wasn't tasked with identifying potential culprits.

Relman asserted that some clinical presentations have attributes difficult to explain by known medical or environmental causes, although many other cases might result from different factors. Other experts have challenged the directed energy weapon hypothesis, proposing environmental, medical, or psychogenic explanations. The symptoms' origins remain a subject of debate.

In 2023, a U.S. intelligence community assessment concluded it was highly unlikely that foreign adversaries were responsible for the reported incidents. A subsequent 2025 review by five agencies maintained a similar assessment, while another suggested a roughly equal likelihood of foreign involvement through a novel weapon in a limited number of cases.

The British newspaper reported that Tulsi Gabbard dismissed previous assessments this summer, citing information processing failures, but didn't publicly present new evidence attributing the episodes to Russia. Meanwhile, former CIA Director Bill Burns explicitly denied any agency cover-up and defended the thoroughness of their investigation.

The Cuban Regime's Involvement Under Question

The syndrome's name originates from Havana, where in 2016, U.S. diplomats began reporting strange sounds, pressure, dizziness, and subsequent health problems. These first reports emerged during a diplomatic rapprochement between Washington and Havana, a process that, according to the report, displeased hardline sectors of the Cuban regime and their Moscow allies.

Cuban authorities have consistently denied responsibility and questioned U.S. accusations. The possibility that Russian agents, key allies of the regime, operated on Cuban soil raises significant political questions: What did Havana authorities know? So far, however, there's no public evidence confirming regime knowledge, authorization, or participation in a supposed attack.

The issue resurfaced in March through reports by CiberCuba and on October 5 when former National Security Advisor John Bolton criticized U.S. and Canadian investigations into Russia's potential role.

The new book's release will bring the case back to the international spotlight, a decade after the first reports in Cuba. The revelations and testimonies offer new leads for investigation, but they still don't definitively resolve what caused the episodes or identify those responsible.