The Russian government denies claims of arms dealer Viktor, known as the “Merchant of Death,” being involved in arms deals with Islamist militant groups in Yemen. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov labels the reports as fake and a verbal attack on Russian representatives.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Bout, released from US custody in 2022, facilitated the sale of small arms to the Houthi militant group in Yemen. Despite praising the militants for shooting down US drones, Bout dismissed the article as targeted misinformation for Putin’s birthday.
Referring to the accusations as baseless, Bout failed to confirm his return to the arms business. The Houthi rebels have been launching attacks on Israel and ships in the Red Sea, impacting Suez Canal traffic.
Bout, previously convicted for supplying weapons to criminal groups, was sentenced to 25 years in the US. The allegations against him remain unverified.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story. Source: SCMP