Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators were reportedly 'poisoned' and left with their 'skin peeling off' after peace talks with Russia in Kyiv.
The Russian billionaire and at least two senior Ukraine peace negotiators were targeted earlier on March 3 after a meeting in Kyiv and are said to have developed painful symptoms that mirrored the effects of a poisoning.
The group is said to have suffered red eyes and tearing and peeling of their skin.
Outgoing Chelsea FC owner Abramovich and another Russian entrepreneur were involved in negotiations until about 10pm on the day.
The men reportedly began to suffer at a Kyiv flat that evening but their condition improved slightly by the morning.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the symptoms reportedly started after a meeting in the Ukrainian capital aimed at finding a peace agreement to bring an end to the war.
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The suspected attack is reportedly being blamed on on hard-liners in Moscow who they said wanted to sabotage talks to end the war.
Among the others infected was Ukrainian politician Rustem Umerov.
It was claimed just prior to the symptoms developing Abramovich and three delegates had eaten some chocolate and drank water.
One member of the four experienced no adverse effects, however.
Initially, the party left Ukraine to travel to Poland before catching a flight to Istanbul.
Abramovich, who has been touted as a peace negotiator, and those affected have recovered from their injuries, although it remains unclear what substance caused the symptoms.
It was earlier claimed that Western investigators have looked into the incident and have been unable to determine whether it was a chemical or biological agent or some electromagnetic-radiation attack.
However, this evening it was revealed the symptoms suffered by Abramovich are most consistent with chemical poisoning.
An accurate assessment was however not carried out due to the lack of specialised laboratory equipment near the victims.
Experts said the dosage and type of toxin used was likely insufficient to cause life-threatening damage.
They claim the attack was most likely intended to scare victims rather than cause permanent damage.
Details of the suspected poisoning come as a fourth round of negotiations between official Ukrainian and Russian delegations is due to begin in Istanbul today.
An investigation organized by Christo Grozev, an investigator with Bellingcat open-source collective, previously concluded that a Kremlin team poisoned Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent in 2020.
Grozev is also said to have seen images of the effects of the suspected poison attack on Mr Abramovich and other Ukrainian negotiators.
A biological sample was not taken as the group had left the Ukrainian capital to travel to Istanbul - by which time too much time had passed for the suspected poison to be detected.
Grozev said the poisoning was "not intended to kill, it was just a warning".
It is thought Abramovich and the other Ukrainian negotiators' lives are not in danger.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has also met with Mr Abramovich, but is said to be be affected, they said.
In 2018, former Russian intelligence officer Sergey Skripal was nearly fatally poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury. The poison was identified as the nerve agent Novichok, developed by the Soviet Union as part of a secret chemical weapons program.
Moscow again denied responsibility, but police were able to track two men, later identified as officers in Russian military intelligence. Both men, Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin.
They were found to have previously received Russia's highest state honour, awarded personally by Putin.
The country's poisons have been developed within its security services in a secret poison lab. Known among security agents as "Kamera" - meaning "the chamber" in Russian - for decades specialised in developing poisons difficult to detect.
Since the start of the war, Chelsea owner Abramovich has reportedly been shuttling back and forth between Moscow and Lviv in western Ukraine.
He was last sighted two weeks ago in the VIP departure lounge at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, shortly before a private plane he owns took off for Istanbul.
Flight data showed that a Gulfstream G650 belonging to the oligarch flew from Israel to Turkey.
It had initially been expected to head to Moscow but did not fly directly to the Russian capital, where is it reported Abramovich is now.
The development would support reports that Zelensky previously urged US President Joe Biden not to impose sanctions on Abramovich, as he may be a useful intermediary in peace talks.
While the UK has imposed strict measures on the oligarch to "isolate" Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden has resisted pressure to target him specifically.
Following a call from Zelensky, the White House reportedly persuaded the US Treasury Department not to go ahead with plans to target Abramovich and his businesses.
The development explains why one of the world's richest men has avoided US sanctions despite the UK and European Union hitting him with travel bans and asset freezes.
According to reports, Biden consulted Zelensky on a range of sanctions, including plans for the Chelsea boss.
The Russian billionaire made his fortune buying up discounted state assets after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But due to his close relationship with Putin, he has been subject to a string of sanctions in the UK and Europe.
Abramovich has put Chelsea Football Club up for sale with an asking price of at least £3billion.
He is also writing off the £1.5billion debt the club owes him.
His UK staff are said to have been preparing for viewings of his £150 million mansion at Kensington Palace Gardens, London, and a three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront.
It comes after reports Abramovich gave close friend Putin a handwritten note from Ukraine's president Zelensky, prompting a savage reply from the Russian leader.
After relaying a message to Putin about potential terms of a peace agreement, Putin reportedly told Abramovich 'tell him I will thrash them'.
Last week, the Kremlin has confirmed Abramovich was involved in early peace talks following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The UK government has frozen Abramovich's assets in the country due to his previous ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid the war in Ukraine. The club are now operating under a special license that does prevents them negotiating new contracts with their players.
The war in Ukraine led to heightened scrutiny of Russians living in the United Kingdom on so-called 'Golden Visas'.
Abramovich was one such oligarch with assets worth billions in the UK, so claims he was playing a part in initial peace negotiations were met with surprise.
Those reports were not backed up by Russian government officials at the time but a Kremlin spokesperson has now confirmed the 55-year-old was involved.
"He did take part at the initial stage," Dmitry Peskov, Putin's press secretary, said of Abramovich on Thursday. "Now the negotiations are between the two teams, the Russians and Ukrainians."
Abramovich's mother, Irina, was born in Ukraine and his daughter, Sofia, has posted on social media to declare it is only Putin who "wants a war with Ukraine".
A spokesperson for the Chelsea owner - who bought the club in 2003 and is now selling up - released a statement four days after Putin's invasion which said: "I can confirm that Roman Abramovich was contacted by the Ukrainian side for support in achieving a peaceful resolution, and that he has been trying to help ever since.
"Considering what is at stake, we would ask for your understanding as to why we have not commented on neither the situation as such nor his involvement. Thank you."
Abramovich's role in the early peace talks was also confirmed by Ukrainian film director and producer Alexander Rodnyansky, who said: "I can confirm that the Ukrainian side have been trying to find someone in Russia willing to help them in finding a peaceful resolution
"They are connected to Roman Abramovich through the Jewish community and reached out to him for help. Roman Abramovich has been trying to mobilise support for a peaceful resolution ever since.
