Havana syndrome in Tbilisi
Russian outlet The Insider, American broadcaster CBS, and German outlet Spiegel have jointly released an investigation revealing that operatives from the Russian military intelligence agency, GRU, conducted acoustic attacks on US embassy staff, leading to the onset of the so-called “Havana Syndrome.”
Investigative journalists, including Christo Grozev, known for his work on the poisoning case of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, delved into the causes behind unexplained symptoms experienced by American diplomats worldwide at different times. Affected individuals reported symptoms such as noise and pain in the ears, sensations of vibration and pressure in the head, and dizziness. It was found that the syndrome coincided with the presence of GRU Unit 29155 officers in these locations.
One section of the investigation focuses on Tbilisi. In 2021, GRU agents, father and son Averianov, were present in the Georgian capital. Their visit proved fatal for the wife of a US embassy staff member – despite years of treatment and surgical intervention, the woman was unable to return to a normal life.
Why investigate this angle?
The investigation was sparked by a decade-long series of strange incidents involving American diplomats, officials, and intelligence personnel worldwide. They describe sudden episodes akin to paralysis, rendering them incapacitated for life: unable to focus, experiencing balance issues, severe migraines, and constant ringing in the ears.
These inexplicable symptoms, accompanying what’s known as the “Havana Syndrome,” have afflicted US government officials and their families globally. Dubbed “Havana” because it was first reported by US embassy staff in Havana in 2016, several employees experienced nausea, panic attacks, and strange noises in their ears. Many still suffer from disorientation, concentration problems, balance issues, and insomnia.
However, the first cases of the “Havana Syndrome,” as the investigation’s authors note, were documented in 2014. One recent case occurred in 2023 during the NATO summit in Vilnius, where a senior US Defense Department official experienced symptoms and sought medical assistance, as reported by CBS News.
Over this time, the US authorities received around 1,500 complaints from potential victims worldwide.
In 2023, US intelligence stated they found no evidence linking Russia or other countries to the “Havana Syndrome” incidents.
However, the investigative authors claim to have found Russian traces in these cases.
They assert a connection between the “Havana Syndrome” and the movement of GRU agents.
For instance, Americans in Frankfurt as far back as 2014 spotted suspected GRU agents, possibly linked to the poisoning of the Skripals in 2018.
One of the main segments of the investigation focuses on Tbilisi.
Tbilisi, 2021
Joy (name changed) arrived in Georgia in February 2020 with her diplomat husband and son.
The family settled on a quiet street in Tbilisi, not far from the US embassy. Joy’s husband worked at the US embassy in Georgia, while she worked as a doctor at one of the private American clinics.
On September 7, 2021, Joy was waiting for her son to return from school. As she pulled out freshly laundered clothes from the washing machine, she turned to the window and suddenly felt something akin to a powerful sound wave. She began to experience a terrible headache. Joy called her husband, who soon arrived from the embassy accompanied by security.
The woman recalls that while waiting for her husband, she looked out onto the street and noticed a strange car she had never seen before, which she then photographed. Near the car, she saw a tall, slim blond man accompanied by a woman. They were dressed impeccably, as if attending a wedding or theater. When the man noticed he was being photographed, he quickly got into the car.
Since that day, Joy has suffered from severe migraines every day (something she never experienced before).
She explains that her consciousness feels foggy, making it difficult for her to navigate stairs and causing coordination issues while moving. She began experiencing problems with her vestibular system, often hearing ringing in her ears, and developing hearing problems. The dizziness is so severe that sometimes it’s hard for her to turn over in bed. Her hearing has become hypersensitive, even the sound of an air conditioner feels like the roar of a jet engine.
At Johns Hopkins University, Joy was diagnosed with bilateral semicircular canal dehiscence, a very rare condition. It could have been congenital, but in that case, the disease would have been detected long ago. It could also have been a result of trauma, but Joy hadn’t experienced any. She underwent surgery: metal plates were placed on both sides of her skull. This alleviates the symptoms but doesn’t completely eliminate them.
American investigators were unable to determine the exact cause of her illness.
However, The Insider noticed a strange coincidence: at the time this incident occurred with Joy, operatives from GRU Unit 29155 were in Georgia.
On September 30, 2021, the commander of Unit 29155, General Andrey Averyanov, went on a business trip. It was revealed by journalists that on the same day, his son Albert Averyanov arrived from Moscow. Albert had been brought into his father’s department a few years ago. Despite his young age (he was 21 at the time), Albert had already gained significant experience—his father had been “training” him unofficially in various matters during his studies at MGU in 2017-2018.
Journalists discovered that on September 30, 2021, GRU agents first flew from Moscow to Tashkent, and from there to Tbilisi.
When Joy was shown a photo of Albert Averyanov, she immediately recognized him:
“When I saw this photo, I immediately had a spontaneous reaction, I felt very bad. I can’t be 100 percent sure it’s the same person, but I can say for sure that he looks very much like him. To this day, when I look at it, I have the same intuitive reaction.”
Albert Averyanov himself declined to comment to The Insider.
