'Nausea, Memory Lapses': US-Bought Secret Devices Linked To 'Havana Syndrome', Says Report

The US Department of Defence may have purchased a device linked to the 'Havana Syndrome' phenomenon and has spent more than a year running tests on it, as per a CNN report.

Citing sources in the know, the report stated that the device was bought by the Department of Homeland Security for millions of dollars in an undercover operation during the last days of the Joe Biden Administration via funds provided by the Defense Department.

The Pentagon paid out "eight figures" for the device, as per sources who did not name a particular amount.

'Havana Syndrome' was the name given to a series of medical problems that US diplomatic officials posted in Havana were facing in late 2016, which included nausea, vertigo, memory and hearing loss and strong migraines.

Close to 26 such cases were reported with largely inconclusive findings regarding how they were caused and who and/or what was behind them, with the predominant hypothesis being that it may have been an energy attack or radio frequency waves.

Some of the victims had argued that Russia was behind the attack and was targeting government officials, but senior intelligence officials have not confirmed this.

As per reports from The Insider media group, the symptoms were caused by an energy devices used by agents belonging to the Russian military intelligence agency named Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravleniye (GRU). The reports stated that GRU operatives were spotted in the areas where officials suffered these symptoms.

The Kremlin denied these claims.

In 2023, the intelligence community made a public statement that they could not find conclusive evidence linking malicious foreign entities to coordinated attacks on US officials.

The International Classification of Diseases does not recognise Havana Syndrome as a disease.

Some former and current CIA officers theorised that the investigation was downplayed with many victims facing retirement over their insistence that Russia was behind these symptoms.

As per sources cited by CNN, the device sent out radio waves, and was not entirely Russian in origin but contained Russian components.

It also reported that some officials expressed concern over the possible proliferation of the device, which implied that more than one government might have access to this device.