Targeting Americans (2024) | 60 Minutes Archive
In a Nutshell
A 60 Minutes investigation details "Havana syndrome" (anomalous health incidents) affecting over 100 US national security officials and families since 2014, causing brain injuries to the auditory and vestibular systems via directed-energy weapons like pulsed microwaves or ultrasound, with symptoms including vertigo, memory loss, and balance failure confirmed by Stanford-led studies. Victims like FBI agent Carrie and others link attacks to Russian GRU Unit 29155, citing evidence such as spy Vitali Kovalev's proximity, intercepted calls, matching photos of operative Albert Averyanov in Tbilisi, and patterns targeting top Russia-focused officers—even domestically in the US. US government assessments deny foreign involvement, citing low confidence and alternative explanations, but investigators like Greg Ed Green and attorney Mark Zaid accuse a cover-up amid counterintelligence failures in this shadow war.
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Important developments in 5-year investigation of mysterious brain injuries reported by US national security officials. Injured include White House staff, CIA officers, FBI agents, military officers, and families. Many believe wounded by secret weapon firing high-energy beam of microwaves or ultrasound. Fourth story with evidence of who might be responsible. Most injured fought for America, often in secret, frustrated US government publicly doubts adversary targeting Americans.
Carrie, FBI agent in counterintelligence, disguised, no last name. In 2021, home in Florida, hit by crippling force: "bam, inside my right ear. It was like a dentist drilling on steroids... high-pitched metallic drilling noise... knocked me forward at 45 degree angle." Right ear line of sight to window in laundry room. Pressure and pain from right ear down jaw, neck, chest. Phone battery swelled, broke case. Passed out on couch from chest pain. Checked by cardiologist, returned to duty. Complained for months: felt like early Alzheimer's—short-term memory, long-term memory, confusing memories, multitasking. Baseline changed, not the same person.
Carrie's story matches others. Olivia Troye, Homeland Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, hit outside White House: piercing feeling on right side of head, vertigo, severe ear pain like sharp pencil poking eardrum. Man medically retired from unnamed agency, blind in one eye, balance issues—one of first public cases in 2016 from US embassy in Cuba, origin of Havana syndrome.
Major government medical study led by Dr. David Relman of Stanford University. Found clear evidence of injury to auditory and vestibular system of brain, starting with inner ear (perceive sound, sense balance), translating to brain electrical signals. Directed pulsed radio frequency energy most plausible mechanism, e.g., focused beam of microwaves or acoustic ultrasound. More than 100 officials or family members have unexplained persistent symptoms: "If I turn too fast, my gyroscope is off... walk right into wall or door frame."
FBI agent Carrie's case suggests adversary. Investigated cases including Mustang going 110 mph near Key West, Florida, 2020. Deputies pursued 15 miles until spike strips. Car had notes on bank accounts (Citi Bank, Discover savings, $75,000), device like walkie-talkie to erase car computer data including GPS, Russian passport. Driver Vitali Kovalev from St. Petersburg, Russia. Pleaded guilty to evading police and reckless driving, sentenced to 30 months.
Christo Grozev, journalist who unmasked Russian agents poisoning Alexei Navalny, lead investigator for The Insider. Kovalev studied military institute, radio electronics focused on military microelectronics—tech know-how for high-tech operations. Then became chef in New York, Washington DC, TV segment. Actually Russian military electrical engineer with top secret clearance. Once in military, remain at Ministry of Defense beck and call for life.
Carrie interviewed Kovalev 80 hours over months. Hit in Florida while he was in jail, again year later in California: disorientation, whole body pulsing.
Mark Zaid, Carrie's attorney with security clearance, represents Americans in national security, has >24 clients with Havana syndrome (now anomalous health incidents or AHI). CIA and State Department clients impacted domestically. Dozens of CIA cases domestic. Evidence of computer issues during incidents: screens stop working, flicker. Other FBI agents, analysts impacted, e.g., one in Miami, overseas last decade. Common thread: work relating to Russia.
Kovalev returned to Russia 2022 despite US warnings, death certificate says killed at Ukraine front last year. Theory: sent as punishment or disposal. Grozev believes he's dead.
Energy weapons effective, next-generation, refined on test subjects. US intelligence: no credible evidence adversary inflicting brain injuries. Pentagon investigation by retired Army Lt. Col. Greg Ed Green, Defense Intelligence Agency, 2021-2023. Personal opinion: yes, being attacked by Russia. Collected signals intelligence, human intelligence, open-source, internet, travel, financial records. Early focus on Moscow. Patterns: top 5-10% performing officers, consistent Russia nexus—worked against Russia successfully. Impact: intelligence officers, diplomats removed from posts with traumatic brain injuries, neutralized.
Incident at 2023 NATO summit in Lithuania (focused on Russia-Ukraine, Biden attended): senior DoD official struck, sought medical treatment. No barriers on Moscow's attacks.
Havana syndrome public 2016 Cuba, but started 2 years earlier: at least 4 Americans in Frankfurt, Germany. Revenge: 2014, 3 CIA officers in Ukraine (Putin's obsession, year of revolt overthrowing his leader). Later hit in Uzbekistan, Vietnam, London (family).
Christo Grozev discovered Russian intelligence unit 29155 in 2018: versatile assassins, sabotage operators trained in counter surveillance, explosives, poison, technology to inflict pain/damage.
Document: 29155 officer bonus for work on "potential capabilities of non-lethal acoustic weapons"—engaged in empirical tests of directed energy unit. Closest to receipt.
29155 present in Tbilisi, Georgia when Americans reported incidents.
October 7, 2021, wife of Justice Department official (nurse, PhD anesthesiology) in laundry room: piercing sound like movie bomb aftermath, through window into left ear, fullness in head, piercing headache, projectile vomited. Second incident that week: nearby US official, spouse, child hit. Intercepted Russian phone call: "Is it supposed to have blinking green lights? And should I leave it on all night?" Investigation on Russian Albert Averyanov, son of 29155 commander, groomed since 16, phone in unit members' books, colleague. Phone off during incidents, but login to his email from Tbilisi—likely him there. 29155 facilitated/supervised/implemented acoustic attacks on US diplomats/officials.
She checked security camera: unrecognized vehicle outside gate, photographed it, saw man outside. Photo of Averyanov matches man she saw: visceral reaction, feels sick, looks like him.
Severely injured: headaches, brain fog, trouble walking stairs at night, coordination/vestibular failing. Medevaced, holes in inner ear canals (balance). Two surgeries with metal plates in skull, another likely. Devastating.
ODNI last year: very unlikely foreign adversary responsible, but some agencies low/moderate confidence. NIH brain scans: no physical damage, but AHI science debated. ODNI: symptoms from pre-existing conditions, conventional illnesses, environmental factors.
Mark Zaid: accessed classified AHI info, doesn't believe entire story, knows contradicting info. Evidence of cover-up: avoiding lines of inquiry to answers we don't want (e.g., Russians). "If my mother had seen what I saw, she would say, 'It's the Russians, stupid.'"
Greg Ed Green: Pentagon support, but Trump/Biden admins set impossibly high proof bar—avoid hard truths: secure America? Counterintelligence failures? Protect soil/people? Being attacked = act of war?
Green retired to start company helping victims, hopes government contracts for treatment. Much classified, circumstantial. Witnesses fear for families but compelled to speak. War of shadows America may not be winning. Putin's biggest victory: hundreds of AHI cases. Life-altering for families.
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