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While authorities do not know what caused the mysterious ailment among U.S. officials and diplomats known as "Havana Syndrome," a new report published by 60 Minutes, German outlet Der Spiegel, and The Insider may have identified who is responsible.
The report found ties between several incidents of Havana Syndrome and a shadowy Russian assassination group known as Unit 29155.
Around 1,500 top U.S. officials have reported sudden pain or pressure in the head, followed by other symptoms, including vertigo, migraines, and nausea. In some cases, they were diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. The incidents have happened in dozens of countries, including Cuba, China, Russia, and the United States.
While investigations have found no single cause for the symptoms, the CIA said most were not caused by a foreign power using advanced technology. However, a number of cases remain a mystery.
The report suggests that Unit 29155 was responsible for causing the illness using a directed energy weapon.
Among this investigation's core findings is the fact that senior members of the unit received awards and political promotions for work related to the development of "non-lethal acoustic weapons," a term used in Russian military-scientific literature to describe both sound- and radiofrequency-based directed energy devices, as both would result in acoustic artifacts in the victim's brain.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement in causing Havana Syndrome.