Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich 'poisoned' during Ukraine-Russia peace talks in early March - reports
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Updated 28/03/2022 at 18:51 GMT
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been involved in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since the start of the month, and reports from both Bellingcat and the Wall Street Journal suggest that on the evening of March 3 he suffered temporary blindness, piercing pain in the eyes, and other symptoms of a deliberate poison attack.
Roman Abramovich
Image credit: Getty Images
Roman Abramovich is said to be ‘fine’ after reportedly suffering symptoms of chemical weapons or poisoning, and continues to be involved in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal and investigate reporting team Bellingcat both ran stories on Monday afternoon suggesting that Abramovich was one of several attendees of peace talks to suffer symptoms such as ‘piercing pain in the eyes’ and peeling skin. The Russian oligarch is said to have experienced blindness and underwent treatment in Turkey, one of the few countries not to have imposed sanctions on Russia.
The reports state that the level of poisoning, potentially delivered by water or chocolate consumed before or during the meeting of 3 March, was likely deliberate but not meant to be lethal.
Bellingcat tweeted: "Bellingcat can confirm that three members of the delegation attending the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on the night of 3 to 4 March 2022 experienced symptoms consistent with poisoning with chemical weapons.
"One of [the] victims was Russian entrepreneur Roman Abramovich."
Abramovich is said to have travelled between Moscow and Kyiv as he is party to negotiations between the two countries as they hold peace talks. He had previously claimed he had no links to the Russian state led by Vladimir Putin, for which he has been heavily sanctioned.
Two members of the Ukrainian side are believed to have been affected, though none of the three are in imminent danger following the poisoning.
Bellingcat continued: "Abramovich, along with another Russian entrepreneur, had taken part in the negotiations alongside Ukraine's MP Rustem Umerov. The negotiation round on the afternoon of 3 March took place on Ukrainian territory, and lasted until about 10pm.
"Three members of the negotiating team retreated to an apartment in Kyiv later that night and felt initial symptoms - including eye and skin inflammation and piercing pain in the eyes - later that night. The symptoms did not abate until the morning.
"The next day the group of negotiators drove from Kyiv to Lviv on the way to Poland and then Istanbul, to continue informal negotiations with the Russian side. A Bellingcat investigator was asked to help provide an examination by chemical weapons specialists.
"Based on remote and on-site examinations, the experts concluded that the symptoms are most likely the result of international poisoning with an undefined chemical weapon.
"An alternative less likely hypothesis was use of microwave irradiation. The symptoms gradually subsided in the course of the following week."
A deal for Chelsea’s sale is hoped to be completed by the end of next month.
Later, Reuters reported that US intelligence sources indicated another 'environmental factor' might have been at play, saying: "The intelligence highly suggests this was environmental. E.g., not poisoning."
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