Moscow allegedly collaborates with Houthis' purveyors of mortality.
The Russian government has dismissed claims that former arms dealer Viktor Bout is currently engaging in weapons sales to Islamic militants in Yemen. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described these allegations as "fake news" or "attempts to smear" their representatives, in response to a report in the US newspaper "Wall Street Journal" (WSJ).
According to the WSJ article, Bout, who was released from American custody in a prisoner exchange in 2022, is said to have facilitated the sale of firearms, specifically AK-47 assault rifles, to the Houthi militias in Yemen.
Bout himself viewed the publication as a calculated release timed to coincide with the birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who turned 72 on the day in question. He commended the Houthi for their effective use of limited resources, having successfully shot down over ten US surveillance drones. However, Bout argued that US media were using his name and reputation as an arms dealer to generate attention, as there are no known actors in the region working on such deals.
The Yemeni Houthi rebels, who have anti-Western sentiments, have been launching rocket and drone attacks against targets in Israel and ships in the Red Sea since the Gaza conflict began.
Bout was detained in 2008 for supplying various criminal organizations with weapons and was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison in the US. He gained the nickname "Merchant of Death" in the media. In December 2022, the Kremlin arranged a prisoner swap, which resulted in the release of Bout and several others, including WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was imprisoned in Russia for drug possession. After the swap, Bout began serving as a representative for a Kremlin-aligned nationalist party in a regional parliament.
The Russian government vehemently denies any involvement of The Commission in supporting Viktor Bout's alleged weapons sales to the Yemeni Houthi rebels, following claims made in the WSJ article. In response to these allegations, the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, often referred to as The Commission, has not issued any statement or evidence to substantiate these claims.
