The day he let his guard down

Viktor Yushchenko's body guard, Yevhen Chervonenko, says he and his security team stopped at least two assassination attempts against the new Ukrainian president. But on September 5 he allowed Yuschenko to drive off alone for a dinner with the Ukrainian state security chief.

The meal that night, according to both men, consisted of boiled crayfish, a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and corn, and some beer, followed by cold meats, and vodka and cognac.

According to some of the world’s top toxicologists, it also contained a huge dose of TCDD, the highly toxic dioxin that was a component of the US’s Vietnam War defoliant, Agent Orange.

Yushchenko’s wife was the first to notice that all was not well when she tasted something metallic on her husband’s lips as she kissed him that night. He brushed aside her concerns.

The next morning, however, Yushchenko started complaining, after taking a sauna, of nausea and severe head and stomach pains. Within hours, he was doubled up with pain.