Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich asked scientists examining him if he was “going to die” after falling ill from a suspected poisoning, according to reports.
It’s believed the oligarch was poisoned during peace talks between Russia and Ukraine this month. The two nations have been embroiled in a war since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade the sovereign state.
Reports suggested Abramovich may have been poisoned by a First World War chemical agent named Chloropicrin or a low dosage of Novichock. He was reported to have experienced debilitating symptoms after the incident, including peeling skin and loss of vision.
And, according to The New York Times, Abramovich asked those examining him “are we dying?” It’s now unclear who sanctioned the suspected attack in Kyiv, although it’s being blamed on hard-liners in Moscow. But Abramovich was not seriously injured.
Despite his involvement in the talks, Abramovich was recently sanctioned by the UK government. He is alleged to have ties with Putin, something he denies. Chelsea are now operating under a special license as a result of the sanctions with the club currently up for sale.
Abramovich is still involved in peace talks and was spotted at a meeting in Istanbul held by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But he was advised not to eat or drink anything – or even touch surfaces – due to his poisoning in Kyiv.
“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,” a spokesperson recently said.
“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 has long had a fear of poisoning attacks. As reported in 2006, he banned outside catering at Stamford Bridge’s boardroom and made sure everything prepared for him was tested by a bodyguard. He also had a personal chef with him everywhere.
That happened after Alexander Litvinenko – a former Russian agent – was poisoned in the UK and died. The attack was pinned on Moscow – and so were the Salisbury poisonings in 2018, which left three people critically ill and one dead.
An infectious disease expert – has urged the West to prepare for biological and chemical attacks after Abramovich’s suspected poisoning and the sanctions imposed on Russia.
“However implausible a biological or chemical attack once seemed, the United States and its NATO allies need to game out the worst-case scenarios, take inventory of the resources they have at their collective disposal to deal with biological and chemical attacks, and swiftly bolster those resources,” said Osterholm.
“Just a few weeks ago, the notion that Russia might use such weapons in its campaign in Ukraine would have seemed unduly alarmist. That is no longer the case.”
