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Viktor Bout, the arms trader who was returned to Russia successful a captive swap for U.S. citizen Brittney Griner, praised his country’s penetration of Ukraine and said it should person happened earlier, according to authorities television.
During an interrogation connected Russian propaganda outlet Russia Today (RT), Bout said, "any Russian person" should o.k. of Russia’s "special subject operation" and that helium would person joined the warring if helium was able.
"To beryllium honest, I couldn’t adjacent recognize wherefore we did not bash it earlier," helium said Saturday connected RT. "Why successful 2014, you know, determination were demonstrations successful Kharkiv, radical were carrying tremendous tricolors and shouting, ‘Russia, Russia, Russia,’ successful Donbas and Odesa, arsenic well, you know!"
Viktor Bout sits wrong a detention compartment astatine Bangkok Supreme Court connected July 28, 2008, successful Bangkok, Thailand. (Chumsak Kanoknan/ Getty Images)
He added: "Yes, intelligibly the conditions were not close and we were not ready, but I would person supported it wholeheartedly."
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Bout aboriginal told big Maria Butina that if helium "had the accidental and indispensable skills" helium "would person gone" joined the warring arsenic a volunteer. According to the Ukraine government, astir 94,000 Russian troops person been killed successful the fighting, arsenic of Dec. 11.
The Russian losses see astir 6,000 armored unit vehicles, astir 3,000 tanks, and astir 2,000 artillery systems.
Former Soviet subject serviceman and arms trafficking fishy Viktor Bout astatine Westchester County Airport November 16, 2010, successful White Plains, New York. (U.S. Department of Justice via Getty Images)
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During the aforesaid interview, Bout said Western countries, including the U.S., were seeking to "destroy" and "divide" Russia.
"The West believes that they did not decorativeness america disconnected successful 1990, erstwhile the Soviet Union began to disintegrate... They deliberation that they tin conscionable destruct america again and disagreement Russia," helium said, according to the Moscow Times.
As for Griner, Bout said helium "wished her luck" pursuing their captive swap successful Abu Dhabi connected Thursday, Dec. 9. Both were returned to their respective countries wrong 24 hours.
"Again, it's our tradition. You should privation everyone bully luck and happiness," helium added, per Reuters.
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Russian arms trader Viktor Bout arrives astatine a Criminal Court successful Bangkok connected October 5, 2010. (NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Russian, who is dubbed the "Merchant of Death," was antecedently convicted of arms trafficking, conspiring to termination Americans, and wealth laundering.
Griner was convicted by a Russian tribunal of carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil successful Russia, wherever cannabis is banned.
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