The case remains unsolved: what did Viktor Yushchenko look like before his poisoning?

Viktor Yushchenko is the third president of independent Ukraine who survived an assassination attempt. He was likely poisoned during a dinner with politicians and security officials on September 5, 2004. After that, the president's appearance changed forever.

"Telegraf" decided to recall how former president Viktor Yushchenko looked before the poisoning occurred.

Viktor Yushchenko and His Poisoning

More than 20 years have passed since the poisoning. Viktor Yushchenko himself believes he was poisoned during a dinner with representatives of the security services on September 5, 2005. He was invited to a special meeting at the dacha of then Deputy Chairman of the SBU, Volodymyr Satsyuk, located in Osokorky. The head of the SBU, Ihor Smeshko, and MP Davyd Zhvania also attended this dinner.

Almost immediately after this event, the then-presidential candidate began to feel unwell. On the night of September 9 to 10, 2004, Viktor Yushchenko was taken to an Austrian clinic, where he was diagnosed with "acute pancreatitis" with complications caused by poisoning from toxins. Later, Austrian doctors concluded that the Ukrainian presidential candidate had been poisoned with dioxins.

At the time of the ongoing election campaign, the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko sparked a strong public reaction. Experts even suggested that this unfortunate incident may have helped Yushchenko win those elections and become the president of Ukraine. However, neither the organizer nor the executor of this poisoning was ever identified, and the case remained unsolved.

Meanwhile, American intelligence claimed that Vladimir Putin ordered the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko. There were also other theories regarding the poisoning involving Russian special services or Yushchenko's opponents in that election, such as members of Yanukovych's team.

However, despite being on the brink of death due to this poisoning, Viktor Yushchenko not only survived but also became the president of Ukraine. Now the politician is 70 years old, and he even occasionally appears at public events.

Earlier, "Telegraf" reported on Yushchenko, bees, and memes. What is known about the former president's apiaries and how his honey became a trend.