Viktor Bout Calls Report of Him Brokering Houthis Arms Deal Fake News

Viktor Bout, who was convicted on arms trafficking charges by the U.S. and freed in a 2022 swap, said Monday that The Wall Street Journal report which suggested he was trying to help sell arms to Yemen's Houthis was a fake, the RBC daily reported.

It cited Bout as saying the article appeared to have been published to coincide with Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday on Monday and as also praising the Iran-backed Houthis for what he cast as their military achievements.