Roman Abramovich, a powerful Russian oligarch and friend of Putin, was possibly poisoned by Russian hardliners during peace talks earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. After the meeting in Kyiv, Abramovich and two Ukrainian negotiators, including Crimean Tatar lawmaker Rustem Umerov, came down with bizarre symptoms including “red eyes, constant and painful tearing, and peeling skin on their faces and hands,” the WSJ reported. The trio have all since recovered. Abramovich’s camp said they didn’t know who was responsible but those familiar with the episode suspect it was the work of Russian hardliners who wanted to sabotage peace negotiations. Abramovich, the former owner of London’s Chelsea Football Club, has been seen by both countries as a useful conduit for negotiations.
