Sonic attack? US diplomats in Berlin complain of symptoms of Havana syndrome

Berlin. It looks like a scene from an agent thriller: According to a report in the news magazine “Spiegel”, employees of the US Embassy in Berlin could have been attacked by Russian spies with sonic weapons. At least two diplomats have typical complaints such as sudden severe dizziness, visual disturbances, nausea and severe headache.

According to information from the Wall Street Journal, some of the affected diplomats in the federal capital are said to be unable to work due to symptoms.

The US representative did not want to confirm or comment on the current issues in Berlin on Wednesday, according to Spiegel. A spokesman simply said that the US government had spared no effort to ensure the integrity of its diplomats.

Similar cases on “every continent”

This is not the first attack on diplomatic corps officials in the United States, which makes the incident particularly disturbing. The first occurred in 2016 at the American mission in Cuba, so the Havana syndrome is spoken of when it comes to the clinical picture. The result was severe neurological disabilities and, in some cases, permanent brain damage.

Shortly thereafter, US government officials were bombed at the embassies in Moscow and Beijing. In April of this year, the attacks became firsthand known in Washington – a person close to the National Security Council and a White House employee. In July, bewildering cases of illness occurred at the US Embassy in Vienna. US agencies talk about monitoring similar incidents on “every continent”.

There is no conclusive evidence

The victims were often employees of the US foreign intelligence service, the CIA, she announced. In addition, these agents are usually the ones who handle the defense against Russian espionage activities.

At the end of last year, scientists from the National Academy of Sciences reported in a study commissioned by the US government that special microwave weapons can cause serious health problems. The symptoms are “the effects of directed high-frequency pulse waves,” she said in a study.

According to research by Spiegel and the Bellingcat platform, Russia is working on a covert program to “send dangerous radio waves from a distance via a mobile phone to a target person.” But the problem is that despite the use of private investigators, there is still no reliable evidence of a criminal act by Russia against the United States.