Sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning earlier this month after a meeting in Kyiv, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
The newspaper said on March 28 that its sources were people familiar with the matter but did not name them. It said Abramovich, who accepted a Ukrainian request to help negotiate an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian team were affected.
Their symptoms included red eyes, constant and painful tearing, and peeling skin on their faces and hands, the report added.
Abramovich, owner of the English Premier League soccer team Chelsea, confirmed through a spokesperson that he "suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning," according to open-source investigative group Bellingcat and the BBC.
Abramovich and the Ukrainian negotiators, including Crimean Tatar lawmaker Rustem Umerov, have improved and their lives are not in danger, the newspaper said.
Ukrainian negotiator Mykhaylo Podolyak downplayed the report, while a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said intelligence suggested an "environmental" reason for the symptoms.
"There is a lot of speculation, various conspiracy theories, and elements of one information game or another," Podolyak said.
Umerov urged people not to trust "unverified information."
Bellingcat said earlier on Twitter 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 victims was Russian entrepreneur Roman Abramovich."
The Kremlin has said Abramovich played an early role in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but the process was now in the hands of the two sides' negotiating teams.
Western countries have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including placing oligarchs and other individuals close to Putin on sanctions lists.
Abramovich was among the individuals listed under new sanctions adopted by the European Union last week. He has said he will sell Chelsea and use the proceeds to set up a charitable foundation "for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine."