Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian peace negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after a meeting in Kyiv earlier this month, claims The Wall Street Journal, Monday, March 28 th. After the end of the interviews, these three people would then have suffered from many symptoms, according to information from the American daily, such as ythem flushed and watery, and peeling faces and hands. Another American media, the specialized investigation site Bellingcat, said it was also able to confirm the poisoning of three members of the delegation – including billionaire Roman Abramovich.
They would have been victims of symptoms after a meeting in kyiv, on the night of March 3 to 4, and their condition would then have improved during the week. The experts consulted by Bellingcat believe that the dose and type of toxin used – the most likely hypothesis – “were arguably insufficient to cause life-threatening harm”and that this poisoning was “more likely intended to scare victims”.
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. https://t.co/DJaZ4CoL8J
— Bellingcat (@bellingcat) March 28, 2022
the wall street journal and the Bellingcat favor the trail of chemical or biological poisoning, but do not completely rule out the option of an attack with electromagnetic radiation. Deputy Rustem Umerov was among those poisoned, according to the wall street journal. The supposed poisoning of this parliamentarian had already been mentioned by the Russian site Agence (in Russian)earlier in the day, and the person concerned had quickly denied this information on Facebook (in Ukrainian)using a quote from the writer Mikhail Bulgakov: “Do not read the Soviet newspapers before lunch”.
At this stage, the author or authors of this poisoning have not been identified. A relative of Roman Abramovich explained that he was not sure of the identity of those who allegedly targeted the group, specifies the wall street journal.
Beyond this poisoning affair, the American daily confirms that Roman Abramovich, billionaire owner of the English football club Chelsea, therefore shuttled between Moscow and Ukraine as part of a mediation to put an end to the conflict. According to information from the Russian media Agency, which claims to have established contacts with one and the other of the parties, the Russian oligarch would have offered his mediation during a personal conversation with Vladimir Putin, at the beginning of the month. Subsequently, the oligarch would have flown twice to kyiv in order to meet Volodymyr Zelensky there.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that several Russian businessmen, including Roman Abramovich, had offered to help Ukraine. the wall street journal revealed last week that the Ukrainian president had asked his American counterpart Joe Biden not to sanction Roman Abramovich, arguing that he could play a role in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. At this stage, in fact, the billionaire is not on the list of oligarchs sanctioned by Washington.