What is the "Havana syndrome" — history of occurrence, possible causes

On Monday, January 12, Sasha Ingber, a former employee of the US State Department and NPR radio station, said that the US army has weapons at its disposal, presumably causing the "Havana syndrome."This is the name given to the sudden deterioration of well-being experienced at various times by some American intelligence and foreign policy officials. Izvestia tells about the history and possible causes of this mysterious disease.

"Havana syndrome" — what is it, the story

In 2016, American diplomats stationed in the Cuban capital began to massively report a sharp deterioration in their health. Among the symptoms they described were nausea, headaches, migraines, fatigue, fever and intracranial pressure, loss of coordination, cognitive decline, and partial hearing loss. Many reported hearing strange sounds that resembled a grinding, rhythmic hum, or monotonous squeak.

The CIA sent medical specialists to Havana, but it was not possible to determine the exact causes of the incident. After that, there were versions that the diplomats were exposed to unknown weapons. In this regard, in 2017, Washington recalled some of the staff of the diplomatic mission in Cuba.

Subsequently, similar complaints began to be received from American diplomats from other countries, as well as from US law enforcement officials and officials. The abnormal deterioration of well-being was named "Havana syndrome" in honor of the Cuban capital. Since 2018, reports of it have been coming from China, Poland, Great Britain, Austria, France, Russia and other countries. In total, several hundred incidents were recorded.

In November 2021, US President Joe Biden signed a law according to which the State Department and the CIA are required to pay compensation to victims of the Havana syndrome. As The Washington Post reported, the amount of payments was supposed to be $100-200 thousand for everyone affected by the mysterious disease. The Head of State also instructed to investigate the causes of such incidents and punish the perpetrators.

There have been various suggestions in the United States about what caused the diplomats to feel worse. Hostile actions from other states, including Russia, were not excluded. However, the charges were never officially filed. In addition, in March 2023, an American intelligence report on the "Havana syndrome" was published. It noted that the influence of Washington's foreign opponents on the health of diplomats or the use of any weapons by them is "very unlikely."

In 2024, journalists from the American television channel CBS and the German publication Der Spiegel started talking about the "Havana syndrome" again. They conducted a joint investigation, which allegedly pointed to the involvement of Russian special services in the appearance of negative symptoms among diplomats and officials from the United States. In the 60 Seconds program, they reported that they had letters from high-ranking representatives of the Russian Security Council about the transfer of some unique technology to Vietnam.

Later, commenting on this material, Senator from Ohio James David Vance wrote on the social network X (ex.Twitter) that the journalists had "gone crazy."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing on April 1 that theories about Russia's involvement in the "Havana syndrome" are not new. He also stressed that no one had ever provided convincing evidence for such accusations.

In January 2026, a former employee of the US State Department, journalist Sasha Ingber, posted a video on the Substack platform in which she stated that the US military allegedly possessed weapons causing the "Havana syndrome." According to her, the device was seized during a special operation. Ingber added, citing her sources, that the United States is currently studying the principle of operation of the device.

Possible causes of the "Havana syndrome"

To date, the real causes of the "Havana syndrome" are unknown. Scientists and experts have put forward various theories ranging from psychosomatics and mass psychosis to the targeted effects of microwave radiation.

So, in 2018, an independent organization of scientists, the JASON Group, conducted a study according to which unpleasant symptoms could be caused by the chirping of crickets. Such conclusions were made based on the analysis of audio and video materials from the places where the syndrome was recorded.

In 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering of the United States published a joint report examining the possible causes of the "Havana syndrome." According to the document, the diplomats' malaise could be caused by exposure to pulsed microwave radiation. At the same time, it was emphasized that such an impact is not necessarily the result of a targeted attack.

Other potential "culprits" included chemicals, including insecticides, infectious diseases, psychological problems caused by severe stress, and social factors. Experts also noted the disparity of symptoms and their manifestations, which suggest that the causes of their occurrence were also different.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the US intelligence report on the "Havana syndrome" and the non-involvement of other countries in it.