Victor Yushchenko, a Ukrainian presidential candidate, fell ill after having dinner with opposition members in September 2004. He was later found to have dioxin levels 1,000 times the normal amount in his body, which caused facial paralysis and other health issues. While never proven, many believed Yushchenko was intentionally poisoned to prevent him from being elected president, as the opposing candidate was backed by Russian President Putin. Questions remained about who exactly poisoned Yushchenko and whether it was truly dioxin poisoning or possibly food poisoning combined with a viral infection.