Havana Syndrome | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

Undercover agents from the Department of Homeland Security purchased a miniaturized, portable microwave weapon from a Russian criminal network in 2024 for approximately $15 million. This weapon is silent, doesn't create heat, can be concealed, operated remotely, has a range of several hundred feet, and can penetrate windows and drywall. Its vital components were made in Russia, with software being key to shaping its unique pulsed electromagnetic wave.

60 Minutes learned US agents who investigate illicit arms dealers heard that a Russian criminal network was selling a microwave weapon. Our sources tell us undercover agents of the Department of Homeland Security bought the weapon in 2024. The mission cost about $15 million funded by the Pentagon. Our sources tell us this microwave weapon is portable, concealable, and uses relatively little power. It is silent and doesn't create heat like a microwave oven. Our sources say the device is programmable for different scenarios and can be operated by remote control. The range of the beam is several hundred ft. It can penetrate windows and drywall. The vital components were made in Russia. Our sources say the key is not the hardware, but the software. The programming shapes a unique electromagnetic wave that rises and falls abruptly and pulses rapidly.

The classified microwave weapon acquired by the US has been tested in a US military lab for over a year. Tests on rats and sheep demonstrated injuries consistent with those observed in human victims of Havana Syndrome.

Our confidential sources tell us the still classified weapon has been tested in a US military lab for more than a year. Tests on rats and sheep show injuries consistent with those seen in humans.

A former CIA officer who resigned from the agency's AHI (Anomalous Health Incidents) investigation unit alleges a 'massive CIA cover-up.' He states the unit's directive was to 'bring down the temperature' and prove incidents were psychosomatic or environmental, rather than state-actor attacks. This included making fun of victims and burying expert reports suggesting microwave energy as the cause.

So, one of the very first things I heard when I arrived at the AHI unit was our job is to bring down the temperature on AHI at headquarters. And that was a surprise to me. It basically was saying hey we're going to work towards this being an atmospheric and environmental issue versus it being a state actor. I'll never forget in one instance a senior member of the AHI unit came into my office and that officer came in and said, 'Yeah, we're going to have a happy hour. We're all going to have simulated AHIs and uh and drink together.' And she basically emulated that she was having a stroke and it making fun of the victims. Dr. David Realman told us his investigations found that one country had done a great deal of research on creating something different, a unique pattern of microwaves that can damage the brain. The idea was shelved by federal officials. Do you believe that your studies were downplayed by the US government? By parts of the US government? Absolutely. And not only downplayed, but dismissed in some cases buried. A highlevel CIA source has told us, and this is a direct quote, 'This is the biggest cover up I've seen in my adult life.' End quote. Do you believe it was a cover up? Yes, I do.

Investigative journalist Christo Grov identified Russia's top-secret intelligence Unit 29155, known for assassinations and sabotage, as potentially involved. He found an accounting document showing a Unit 29155 officer received a bonus for work on 'potential capabilities of non-lethal acoustic weapons.' Furthermore, a member of this unit, Albert Avaranov, was linked to incidents in Tbilisi, Georgia, where a Justice Department official's wife was severely injured.

Christo Grov believes he knows who's involved. In 2018, Grov was the first to discover the existence of a top secret Russian intelligence unit, which goes by a number 29155. These are people who are trained to be versatile uh assassins and sabotage operators. Grov says he found one that may link 29155 to a directed energy weapon. It's a piece of accounting. An officer of 29155 received a bonus for work on quote potential capabilities of non-lethal acoustic weapons. We've also found that Russia's 29155 may have been present in Tlisi, Georgia when Americans reported incidents there. Sources tell us that an investigation centered on this Russian, Albert Avaranov, his name on travel manifests and phone records appears alongside known members of unit 29155. We believe members of unit 29155 were there in order to facilitate, supervise, or maybe even personally implement attacks on American diplomats and American government officials using an acoustic weapon.

Greg Ed Green, who led the Defense Intelligence Agency's investigation, stated that the attacks consistently impacted the top 5-10% performing officers across the DIA. These officers invariably had a 'Russia nexus,' meaning they had worked against or focused on Russia and achieved significant success.

One of the things I started to notice was the caliber of our officer that was being impacted. This wasn't happening to our worst or our middle range officers. This was happening to our top five 10% performing officers across the Defense Intelligence Agency. And consistently there was a Russia nexus. There was some angle where they had worked against Russia, focused on Russia and done extremely well.