Was Russia-based Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich 'poisoned' at peace talks on Ukraine?

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is believed to have been among those who experienced suspected poisoning symptoms after attending peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Abramovic, who was part of the delegation that arrived in Ukraine earlier this month for peace talks, allegedly had signs of suspected poisoning, including skin peeling and eye pain, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

After the incident, the Russian businessman is believed to have sought treatment in Turkey. Turkey is one of the few countries in the region that does not have sanctions against Moscow. As per the report, the level of poisoning was not intended to be lethal, but rather to send a message to anyone attempting to work against Russia. The poison or chemical weapon is thought to have been delivered through the water or chocolate that attendees drank and ate during the March 3 talks.

Bellingcat, a Dutch investigative journalism group, was also part of the team that broke the news of suspected poisoning on Monday. Three members of the delegation that attended the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on March 3 and 4 reported symptoms that could be related to poisoning, Bellingcat stated on its official Twitter account. Bellingcat added that the attendees first experienced the symptoms after they went back to their apartment in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The symptoms did not diminish until the next morning. 

'Symptoms are the result of poisoning with chemical weapon' 

The three members of the negotiation team who are suspected of being poisoned went from Kyiv to Lviv the next morning and then travelled to Turkey through Poland, where they received treatment. "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," Bellingcat said in its tweet. 

Abramovic is one of the Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the British government for alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their assets in the UK were frozen, and they were barred from travelling to the country, as a result of the sanctions, which were imposed earlier this month. Abramovic, who had previously stated his intention to sell Chelsea following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has now been prohibited from doing so until further notice.

Image: AP