The Pentagon has confirmed on Monday that a senior defense department official, who attended last year’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, experienced symptoms resembling those associated with the so-called “Havana syndrome.”
Havana syndrome, a condition still under investigation, encompasses a range of health issues dating back to 2016 when U.S. Embassy officials in Havana reported sudden and unexplained symptoms such as head pressure, head or ear pain, and dizziness.
The incidents involving key U.S. government personnel or their families, including one during the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, were highlighted in a recent “60 Minutes” report which suggested Russian involvement.
Deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that the unnamed senior DOD official experienced symptoms similar to those reported in the anomalous health incidents. Questions regarding Russia’s alleged involvement were referred to the intelligence community, which continues to probe the matter.
Singh clarified that the affected defense official was not part of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s official delegation to Vilnius but was attending separate meetings associated with the NATO summit. Details about any further medical care sought by the official or changes in duties were not disclosed due to medical privacy concerns.
In February, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, in its 2024 threat assessment, deemed it “unlikely” that a foreign adversary was responsible for the mysterious ailments, though varying levels of confidence were noted among U.S. intelligence agencies regarding this assessment.
To address such incidents, the Pentagon’s healthcare system has established a registry for employees or dependents to report similar occurrences. However, a five-year study by the National Institutes of Health in March found no evidence of brain injuries or degeneration among U.S. diplomats and government employees experiencing Havana syndrome symptoms.
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