Viktor Yushchenko before and after his poisoning by Vladimir Putin in 2004. He and his family believe the assassination attempt was ordered by Putin when he attempted to steer Ukraine to closer integration with Europe.
In September 2004 Yushchenko became seriously ill. He was flown to Vienna’s Rudolfinerhaus clinic for treatment and diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, accompanied by interstitial edematous changes, due to a serious viral infection and chemical substances that are not normally found in food products.