According to a report, former Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is said to be trafficking arms again. This time the buyers are said to be the Houthi rebels.
Moscow – In December 2022, Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was released from a US prison. This was made possible by a deal between Washington and Moscow. Bout, who is also known as the “Merchant of Death,” is said to be, according to information from Wall Street Journal (WSJ) go back to his old job. “Since his release, Bout has joined a Kremlin-aligned far-right party and won a seat in a local assembly in Ulyanovsk in 2023, seemingly putting his days as an arms dealer behind him,” the paper writes.
But when envoys from the Yemeni Houthis traveled to Moscow to negotiate the purchase of automatic weapons worth ten million dollars, a meeting with Bout took place. The WSJ relies on people familiar with the matter.
USA fears arms deliveries to Houthis
However, no arms deliveries have been made so far. There are still fears in Washington. “The Biden administration is concerned that Russia could provide the Houthis with such advanced weapons in retaliation for Washington’s support for Ukraine,” the paper writes. The US has now classified the Yemeni group as a terrorist organization.
The US government primarily fears Russia’s involvement in the West’s conflict with the Iran-backed Houthi militia. “Arming a belligerent in the Middle East conflict would also represent an escalation for Russia, which has strengthened its security ties with Tehran but has generally stayed out of the confrontation between Israel and its Iranian-backed opponents.”
Bout calls deals with Houthis “fake news”
In an interview with the Russian state news agency Tass Bout dismissed the allegations “The allegations in the article have no basis whatsoever; “It’s just a flash of information flashes,” Bout said. The Russian noted that the US media continues to promote the arms dealer image that they themselves have promoted in the past and which is widely known. “All of this is done to attract attention and increase the popularity of the newspaper, which is obviously in decline,” he said.
The Kremlin has also followed suit WSJ-Article switched into the topic. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the report “falls into the category of fake news and fabricated stories aimed at attacking MPs.”
Prisoner exchanges with Russia are not uncommon
Prisoner deals like those involving Bout or the American basketball player Brittney Griner are not uncommon. On August 1st, the release of Bout and Griner marked the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War. Among others, US journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-US soldier Paul Whelan were released from Russian custody.
In return, Russian prisoners such as Russian secret service agent Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in Germany as the “Tiergarten murderer,” were allowed to return to Russia. In 2010, Russia and the West exchanged 14 suspected spies, including Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and Russian undercover agent Anna Chapman. (erpe/AFP)
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