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Viktor Bout

What is viktor bout?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Full name Viktor Anatolyevich Bout[1]
Born 13 January 1967[1]
Birth place Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union[1]
Occupation Arms dealer, politician[1]
Conviction year 2011[3]
Sentence 25 years in prison[2]

Viktor Bout is a Russian former arms dealer and politician, born on 13 January 1967 in Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union. He was convicted in the United States in 2011 on weapons- and terrorism-related charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Context

Viktor Bout used air-cargo companies to move weapons from Eastern Europe to conflict zones [1]. He was arrested in Bangkok in March 2008 [4] and extradited to the US in 2010 [4]. His conviction in 2011 led to a 25-year prison sentence [3]. He was released in 2022 in a prisoner exchange [2].

Documented claims

  • Viktor Bout is described as one of the world's most infamous arms dealers. [2]
  • He began his career in air transport in the early 1990s after the fall of the USSR. [2]
  • He was arrested in Bangkok in March 2008 and extradited to the United States in 2010. [4]

Questions and answers

When was Viktor Bout arrested?

He was arrested in Bangkok in March 2008 [4].

What sentence did Viktor Bout receive?

He was sentenced to 25 years in prison [2].

When was Viktor Bout released?

He was released in 2022 in a prisoner exchange [2].

Sources

  1. Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian prisoner the U.S. traded for Brittney Griner? — npr.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Who Is Viktor Bout, Really? — foreignpolicy.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Background: the life of Viktor Bout — theguardian.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. The Dark Truth About Viktor Bout — time.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in People