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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Julian Borger in New York

US hid fears of radiation in Moscow embassy in 70s from staff, documents reveal

Gerald Ford and Leonid Brezhnev sign a joint communique on the limitation of strategic offensive arms in 1974
Gerald Ford and Leonid Brezhnev sign a joint statement on the limitation of strategic offensive arms in 1974. Staff may not have been told of the radiation to avoid upsetting these ongoing talks. Photograph: AP

The US complained to the Soviet Union for more than a decade about microwave radiation directed at its embassy in Moscow, but kept concerns secret from embassy staff for nine years, according to newly declassified documents.

The reported microwave radiation came to be known as the “Moscow signal” and was the source of frequent complaints from Washington. US officials were unsure of either the purpose of the signal or the potential health effects of long-term exposure to low-level microwave radiation.

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