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75-485: In December 1951, OKB-153 initiated the design of a twin-engined assault transport aircraft, designated DT-5/8 ( Desahntno-Trahnsportnyy [samolyot] – assault transport aircraft), to be powered by two Kuznetsov TV-2 turboprop engines, and fitted with a large rear cargo door to allow vehicles to be driven straight into the hold. On 11 December 1953, the Soviet Council of Ministers issued directive No.2922-1251 to

150-775: A Russian citizen following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. According to the UN Security Council Committee on Liberia , Bout holds at least four passports. A number of sources referred to Bout as a Tajik national or Tajik-born. Bout served in the Soviet Armed Forces . There is no definite information on his military career except that he graduated from the Soviet Military Institute of Foreign Languages . Bout's training allowed him to become

225-587: A polyglot and master five foreign languages: Portuguese, English, French, Arabic, and Farsi. He is reported to be fluent in Esperanto , which he learned at age 12 in the early 1980s as a member of the Dushanbe Esperanto club . Bout's personal website stated that he served in the Soviet Army as a translator, holding the rank of lieutenant. Bout is thought to have been discharged from

300-679: A "considerable commercial presence in Libya" and aimed to expand his interests there. In 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. government and its contractors paid Bout-controlled firms roughly $ 60 million to fly supplies into Iraq in support of American forces, describing Bout as a "linchpin" for American supply lines in Iraq. Bout's strategy of constantly moving locations, owning numerous companies, and frequently re-registering aircraft made it hard for authorities to make

375-578: A 2012 interview with The New Yorker The day after his Bangkok arrest, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Bout with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill American officers or employees, and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile. Additional charges against him were filed in February 2010. These included illegal purchase of aircraft, wire fraud , and money laundering. Bout

450-636: A US sting operation Bout was arrested in 2008 in Thailand on terrorism charges by the Royal Thai Police in cooperation with American authorities and Interpol . The United States Ambassador to Thailand Eric G. John requested his extradition , which was mandated by the Supreme Court of Thailand in 2010. Bout was accused of intending to sell arms to a United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) informer pretending to represent

525-696: A US DEA paid informer, claiming to represent the Colombian rebel group FARC , supposedly independently of the CIA , negotiated with Bout for the supply of 100 9K38 Igla surface-to-air missiles and armour-piercing rocket launchers to be parachuted in by Bout to agreed landing spots in Colombia . The imposters invited Bout to Thailand to meet their leader. He was charged with terrorism offences that included conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile, conspiracy to provide material support or resources to

600-577: A case against him. He has never been charged for the alleged African arms deals to which he owes his notoriety. During Bout's reported operations, he is believed to have lived in various countries, including Belgium , Lebanon, Rwanda , Russia, South Africa, Syria , and the United Arab Emirates. In 2000, Bout was charged in the Central African Republic with forging documents and was convicted in absentia , but

675-590: A co-conspirator of Bout's, U.S-Syrian citizen Richard Ammar Chichakli, was extradited to New York on charges that he conspired to buy aircraft in violation of economic sanctions. In September 2013, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld Bout's conviction, after rejecting his contention that he had been the victim of a vindictive prosecution and that there was no legitimate law enforcement reason to prosecute him. In 2014, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft 's law firm represented Bout, seeking

750-567: A designated foreign terrorist organisation, conspiracy to kill US nationals, and conspiracy to kill United States officers or employees. The US military was attacking the Colombian rebel group as part of Plan Colombia . None of the alleged crimes were committed in the US. On 6 March 2008, Bout was arrested in Bangkok , Thailand, by the Royal Thai Police based on an Interpol red notice requested by

825-790: A few aircraft observed flying in the Middle East and in Africa , particularly Liberia , DR Congo and Angola until around 2010, (especially airlines associated with the Russian businessman and convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout ), despite Antonov having withdrawn the airworthiness certificate and support for the type in 2004, ending legal use of the aircraft. Data from Airlife's World Aircraft General characteristics Performance Armament Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists OKB-153 Antonov ( d/b/a Antonov Company , formerly

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900-538: A larger-capacity replacement for the earlier Lisunov Li-2 (DC-3), with a large unpressurized hold, a manned tail gun position, chin radome for navigation/mapping radar and a glazed nose for the navigator. A total of 151 An-8s were built in Tashkent. The first production aircraft was rolled out in December 1958 incorporating de-rated AI-20D engines, (the initial production AI-20D was found to be incapable of delivering

975-431: A list of U.S. officials who will be denied Russian entry visas in response to the U.S. Magnitsky Act , under which certain Russian officials are ineligible to enter the U.S. It is thought that Bout was of help to Russia's intelligence agencies , and he is alleged to have connections to ranking Russian officials, including former deputy prime minister Igor Sechin . The language institute Bout attended has been linked to

1050-505: A new multifunctional cargo plane An-132 – a demonstration plane An-132D – took to the air from the runway of Sviatoshyn airfield. The An-132 development program had been implemented in the framework of a contract with a customer from Saudi Arabia. On 24 February 2022, at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine , the first attacks were launched at Kyiv-Antonov-2 airfield , the site of Antonov's test flights and home base of

1125-526: A new trial to overturn his conviction. As of 2022 , Bout had been scheduled for release in August 2029. It was revealed in June 2024 that Bout's legal fees had been paid by Pravfond , a Kremlin linked fund. In June 2020, a Reuters article highlighted that following the charging of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan , Moscow was exploring the possibility of a prisoner swap exchanging Whelan for Bout and

1200-821: A pilot named Konstantin Yaroshenko. Yaroshenko was released in exchange for U.S. Marine Corps veteran Trevor Reed in April 2022. In May 2022, a Forbes article claimed the Biden administration had offered Bout in exchange for the release of Women's National Basketball Association player Brittney Griner . Griner had been detained by customs officers in Sheremetyevo International Airport for being in possession of drugs illegal in Russia, for which she faced 5–10 years in prison. In July 2022,

1275-657: A producer of gliders. Antonov's aeroplanes (design office prefix An ) range from the rugged An-2 biplane through the An-28 reconnaissance aircraft to the massive An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya strategic airlifters (the latter being the world's heaviest aircraft and was the only one in service). Sometimes defunct and sometimes normal, the An-24 , An-26 , An-30 and An-32 family of twin turboprop , high-winged, passenger-cargo-troop transport aircraft are important for domestic/short-haul air services particularly in parts of

1350-810: A result, Antonov aeroplanes were often assembled by the specialist contract manufacturers . In 2009, the once-independent " Aviant " aeroplane-assembling plant in Kyiv became part of Antonov, facilitating a full serial manufacturing cycle of the company. However, the old tradition of co-manufacturing with contractors is continued, both with Soviet-time partners and with new licensees like Iran 's Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company . In 2014, Antonov produced and delivered only two An-158 airplanes. This trend continued into 2015, producing one An-148 and one An-158 . Since 2016, no aircraft have been produced or delivered to clients. In June 2016, Ukraine's major state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom announced

1425-565: A seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ulyanovsk Oblast as a member of the LDPR on 2 July 2023. Bout's origins are unclear. United Nations documents and Bout himself both state his birthplace as Dushanbe , Tajik SSR , Soviet Union (now the capital of Tajikistan ), and that his date of birth is most likely 13 January 1967, although several other dates are possible. He has an older brother named Sergei Bout. Bout became

1500-499: A short service life. The Antonov OKB set about rectifying these faults with increased-area vertical and horizontal tail surfaces, anti-spin strakes on the upper rear fuselage sides, deleting the wing leading-edge slats , adding local structural reinforcements and replacing the TV-2 engines with Ivchenko AI-20 D turboprop engines, which had the added benefit of reducing the empty weight by 3 tonnes (6,600 lb). These changes resulted in

1575-405: A single economic entity under unified management) will be liquidated as a residual corporate entity. Antonov State Company, Kharkiv State Aviation Manufacturing Enterprise and Plant No.410 of Civil Aviation were transferred under the management of another state-owned concern Ukroboronprom in 2015. Antonov State Company continues to function as an enterprise. On 31 March 2017, the first prototype of

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1650-553: Is a Russian arms dealer and politician. A weapons manufacturer and former Soviet military translator, he used his multiple companies to smuggle arms from Eastern Europe to Africa and the Middle East during the 1990s and early 2000s. Bout gained the nicknames the "Merchant of Death" and "Sanctions Buster" after British minister Peter Hain read a report to the United Nations in 2003 on Bout's wide-reaching operations, extensive clientele, and willingness to bypass embargoes. In

1725-678: Is since regarded as a strategic national asset. Since independence, Antonov has certified and marketed both Soviet-era and newly developed models for sale in new markets outside of the former soviet sphere of influence. New models introduced to serial production and delivered to customers include the Antonov An-140 , Antonov An-148 and Antonov An-158 regional airliners . Among several modernisation projects, Antonov received orders for upgrading "hundreds" of its An-2 utility planes still in operation in Azerbaijan , Cuba and Russia to

1800-643: The Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex named after Antonov or Antonov ASTC , and earlier the Antonov Design Bureau , for its chief designer, Oleg Antonov ) is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company. Antonov's particular expertise is in the fields of very large aeroplanes and aeroplanes using unprepared runways . Antonov (model prefix "An-") has built a total of approximately 22,000 aircraft, and thousands of its planes are operating in

1875-662: The An-225 "Mriya" in 1985. "Mriya" was the world's largest and heaviest aeroplane. The end of the Cold War and perestroika allowed the Antonov company's first step to commercialisation and foreign expansion. In 1989, the Antonov Airlines subsidiary was created for its own aircraft maintenance and cargo projects. Antonov Design Bureau remained a state-owned company after Ukraine achieved its independence in 1991 and

1950-760: The Democratic Republic of the Congo . Bout acknowledges traveling to Afghanistan on numerous occasions during the 1990s, but has denied dealing with al-Qaeda or the Taliban . Beginning in 1994, Bout made shipments for the pre-Taliban government of Afghanistan, which later became the Northern Alliance , and knew one of its commanders, Ahmad Shah Massoud . The Central Intelligence Agency described Bout-owned planes as transporters of small arms and ammunition into Afghanistan. In 1995, Bout

2025-690: The First Liberian Civil War , with eyewitnesses claiming that the two met personally. In 1993, Bout began collaborating with Richard Chichakli. In 1995 the Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates hired Chichakli to be the commercial manager of its new free-trade zone . Bout began using the UAE's free trade zone, and Chichakli was, at one time, called Bout's "financial manager" by

2100-526: The French government , the United Nations, and the United States, including transporting flowers, frozen chicken, UN peacekeepers , French soldiers, and African heads of state. Around this time, Bout earned the nickname of "Sanctions Buster" due to his implication in facilitating the violation of United Nations arms embargoes in the western African countries of Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone , and

2175-712: The GRU . Bout allegedly served alongside the GRU-affiliated Sechin in Mozambique in the 1980s, although both men deny this allegation. According to a 2002 United Nations report, Bout's father-in-law Zuiguin "at one point held a high position in the KGB , perhaps even as high as a deputy chairman". They will try to lock me up for life. But I'll get back to Russia. I don't know when. But I'm still young. Your empire will collapse and I'll get out of here. Bout in

2250-591: The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for use against American forces in Colombia , but Bout denied the charges and predicted an acquittal. In 2011 Bout was convicted by a jury at a federal court in Manhattan , of conspiracy to kill American citizens and officials, delivery of anti-aircraft missiles , and providing aid to a terrorist organization; he was sentenced to the minimum 25 years' imprisonment. From 2012 until 2022, Bout

2325-549: The Russian invasion of Ukraine and said that he would volunteer if given the opportunity and skills. On 12 December 2022, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) leader Leonid Slutsky announced that Bout had joined the LDPR. On 2 July 2023, Bout was nominated to run for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ulyanovsk Oblast as a member of the LDPR, which he ended up winning. On 6 October 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Bout had returned to dealing arms and

Antonov An-8 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-657: The former Soviet Union and in developing countries . Antonov Company is a state-owned commercial company originally established in Novosibirsk , Russia. In 1952, the company relocated to Kiev , Ukrainian SSR, then part of the Soviet Union. On 12 May 2015, it was transferred from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to the Ukroboronprom (Ukrainian Defense Industry). In June 2016, Ukraine's major state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom announced

2475-544: The 1980s and 1990s. The Slobodna Bosna newspaper claims that Čengić was a business partner of Bout since then, when 200,000 AK-47 rifles went missing in transit from Bosnia to Iraq in May 2006. One of Bout's airlines was the carrier. After the 2001 United States invasion of Afghanistan , Bout appeared in Moscow and stated that his aircraft made regular flights to Afghanistan, but continued to deny any contact with al-Qaeda or

2550-621: The An-2-100 upgrade version. In 2014, following the annexation of the Crimea by Russia , Ukraine cancelled contracts with Russia, leading to a significant income reduction in Ukraine's defense and aviation industries. However Ukraine has been slowly recovering the deficit from breaking ties with Russia by entering new markets such as the Persian Gulf region and expanding its presence in old ones such as India. In July 2018, Antonov

2625-635: The Antonov Bureau, also appeared in Kiev during this period. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the company established itself as the Soviet Union's main designer of military transport aircraft with dozens of new modifications in development and production. After Oleg Antonov's death in 1984, the company was officially renamed as the Research and Design Bureau named after O.K. Antonov (Russian: Опытно-конструкторское бюро имени О.К. Антонова ) while continuing

2700-598: The Antonov OKB, requiring them to build a twin-turboprop transport aircraft derived from the DT-5/8. Bearing the in-house designation Izdeliye P the resulting aircraft had a high wing carrying two turboprop engines, atop a rectangular-section fuselage which could carry 60 troops or 40 passengers. Alternatively. the aircraft could carry a range of vehicles (including ASU-57 assault guns , BTR-40 or BTR-152 armoured personnel carriers ) or artillery pieces. The aircraft

2775-511: The Belgian case against him was dismissed due to his lack of a fixed residence, and because the case could not be prosecuted in a timely fashion. Bout's U.S. assets were among those frozen in July 2004 under Executive Order 13348 , which describes him as a "businessman, dealer and transporter of weapons and minerals" and cites his close association with Charles Taylor. At the beginning of 2008,

2850-583: The Bout extradition "remain a top priority". On 11 August 2009, the Bangkok Criminal Court ruled in his favor, denying the United States' request for extradition and citing the political, not criminal, nature of the case. The United States appealed that ruling. On 20 August 2010, a higher court in Thailand ruled that Bout could be extradited to the United States. On 16 November 2010, Bout

2925-731: The National Guard in January and February 2022 and thus obstructed preparations for defence. The investigators consider that Bychkov's negligence is the direct cause of the loss of Mriya , because the plane could have been sent to Germany long before February 24. In March 2023, Serhiy Bychkov was arrested, in April he faced formal suspicion in connection with the loss of An-225 Mriya and damages to Antonov amounting to ₴8.4 million. Fields of commercial activity of Antonov ASTC include: Antonov's primary activity has generally been in developing large military transport aircraft , including

3000-579: The Soviet Army upon its dissolution in 1991 with the rank of lieutenant colonel , whereupon he started an air freight business. Other sources state he was a major in the GRU , an officer in the Soviet Air Forces , that he graduated from a Soviet military intelligence training program, or an operative of the KGB . Bout was involved with a Soviet military operation in Angola in

3075-598: The Soviet Union. The model became the first Soviet wide-body aircraft , and it remains the world's largest turboprop-powered aircraft. Antonov designed and presented a nuclear-powered version of the An-22. It was never flight tested. In 1966, after the major expansion in the Sviatoshyn neighbourhood of the city, the company was renamed to another disguise name: "Kiev Mechanical Plant". Two independent aircraft production and repair facilities, under engineering supervision of

Antonov An-8 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-730: The Taliban—instead supplying the rebel Northern Alliance. Soon after the beginning of the War in Afghanistan , al-Qaeda is said to have moved gold and cash out of Afghanistan. In July 2003, The New York Times interviewed Bout, who stated that "I woke up after Sept. 11 and found I was second only to Osama ." In 2004, Bout and Chichakli allegedly set up Samar Airlines in Tajikistan to conduct money laundering activities and protect assets from authorities, according to an indictment by

3225-549: The U.S. Justice Department in 2010. Bout is suspected of supplying weapons to numerous armed groups in Africa in the 2000s, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the Second Congo War . He may have employed some 300 people and operated 40 to 60 aircraft. Bout's network allegedly delivered surface-to-air missiles to Kenya to be used to attack an Israeli airliner during takeoff in 2002. Bout

3300-424: The United States based on conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. After months of delay, the Criminal Court in Bangkok began an extradition hearing for Bout on 22 September 2008. In February 2009, members of the United States Congress signed a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing their wish that

3375-623: The United States, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev 's aide Sergei Prikhodko said that Russia had "nothing to hide" in Bout's criminal case stating, "it is in our interest that the investigation ... be brought to completion, and [Bout] should answer all the questions the American justice system has." On 18 January 2013, Russian government officials announced that "judges, investigators, justice ministry officials and special services agents who were involved in Russian citizens Viktor Bout's and Konstantin Yaroshenko's legal prosecution and sentencing to long terms of imprisonment" would be added to

3450-466: The United States. Supposedly, Bout had been involved with arms dealings during the Yugoslav Wars , especially with the Bosnian government forces during its uprising against the Milošević government in Yugoslavia . Hasan Čengić , who was the former Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is allegedly one of his former contacts. They came into contact with each other as they both stayed in Tehran during

3525-409: The charges were later dropped. Belgian authorities requested that Interpol issue a notice for Bout on charges of money laundering. In 2002 an Interpol red notice on Bout was issued. Bout's website states that because he failed to appear in court a Belgian warrant (not the Interpol notice) for his arrest was issued but later cancelled. The site has a document in Dutch to support the claim that

3600-449: The creation of the Ukrainian Aircraft Corporation within its structure, thereby combining all aircraft manufacturing enterprises, including the assets of Antonov into a single cluster, according to Ukroboronprom's press service. On 19 July 2017, the Ukrainian government approved the liquidation of Antonov's assets. The State Concern "Antonov" (a business group, created in 2005 from the merger of several legally independent companies into

3675-403: The creation of the Ukrainian Aircraft Corporation within its structure, to combine all aircraft manufacturing enterprises in Ukraine. The company was established in 1946 at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association as the top-secret Soviet Research and Design Bureau No. 153 ( OKB-153 ). It was headed by Oleg Antonov and specialised in turboprop military transport aircraft . The task

3750-448: The four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up." Biden said, "While we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we have not given up; we will not give up." Whelan would later be released as a part of a 26 person prisoner exchange on August 1, 2024. On 9 December 2022, Bout gave an interview to Maria Butina for RT , where he stated that he did not think he was important for Russian politics. On 10 December, Bout supported

3825-446: The late 1980s assisting the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the Angolan Civil War . He has stated that he was in Angola only for a few weeks. During this time in Africa he went on to learn the Xhosa and Zulu languages. It is believed that Bout as a former member of the Soviet military was perfectly positioned to purchase surplus Soviet-era military equipment, including three Antonov An-12 aircraft, in

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3900-423: The mid-1990s to transport weapons to Africa from Eastern European states. The cargo supposedly had end-user certificates from Zaire , but the true end-user was UNITA in neighboring Angola. From 1993, UNITA was covered under Resolution 864 , a United Nations Security Council embargo prohibiting the importation of arms to Angola. In Liberia, Bout was suspected of supplying Charles Taylor with arms for use in

3975-425: The modified aircraft being ordered into production at the GAZ-34 factory in Tashkent . The new design required the use of new production techniques, such as stamping and forging of large high-strength parts, extrusion of long sections, chemical milling of large skin panels and other new techniques. Given the service designation An-8, the new transport was built in the GAZ-34 factory in Tashkent from 1957 to 1961, as

4050-401: The planes of Antonov Airlines . The planes Аn-225 Mriya , An-26 , An-74 and administrative premises were destroyed. The planes Аn-12, Аn-22, Аn-28, Аn-132D and Аn-124-100-150, the hangars and other infrastructure were severely damaged. The Security Service of Ukraine established that the former director general of Antonov Company Serhiy Bychkov had not provided access to the site for

4125-452: The present; the An-10 / An-12 were used most notably in the Vietnam War , the Soviet–Afghan War and the Chernobyl disaster relief megaoperation . In 1959, the bureau began construction of the separate Flight Testing and Improvement Base in suburban Hostomel (now the Antonov Airport ). In 1965, the Antonov An-22 heavy military transport entered serial production to supplement the An-12 in major military and humanitarian airlifts by

4200-457: The proposal got further support from President Joe Biden . On 27 July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States had made a "substantial offer" to Russia to release Griner and Paul Whelan, another American who had been convicted of spy activities in Russia, but declined to say what the United States was offering. On the same day, CNN reported that the U.S. had offered to exchange Bout for both Griner and Whelan. Bout

4275-474: The specified power), modified undercarriage control systems, fuel vents, pressurization and de-icing systems, as well as thicker gauge skin in the propeller plane of rotation and increased rudder range of movement. The majority of An-8s built served in the Soviet Air Forces, with two An-8s being used to land special forces to seize Plzeň airport during the Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Others were used as electronic reconnaissance aircraft, and one aircraft

4350-439: The use of "Kiev Mechanical Plant" alias for some purposes. In the late 1980s, the Antonov Bureau achieved global prominence after the introduction of its extra large aeroplanes. The An-124 "Ruslan" (1982) became the Soviet Union's mass-produced strategic airlifter under the leadership of Chief Designer Viktor Tolmachev . The Bureau enlarged the "Ruslan" design even more for the Soviet spaceplane programme logistics, creating

4425-528: The world once led by communist governments. The An-72/An-74 series of small jetliners is slowly replacing that fleet, and a larger An-70 freighter is under certification. The Antonov An-148 is a new regional airliner of twin-turbofan configuration. Over 150 aircraft have been ordered since 2007. A stretched version is in development, the An-158 (from 60–70 to 90–100 passengers). Viktor Bout Viktor Anatolyevich Bout ( / b uː t / ; Russian: Ви́ктор Анато́льевич Бут ; born 13 January 1967)

4500-422: The world's largest airplanes, chiefly for the Russian Federation and its predecessor nations. Additionally, Antonov has produced airliners . It has also produced numerous variants of both transports and airliners, for operations ranging from air freight hauling to military reconnaissance , command and control operations. It has also developed various general aviation light aircraft, having originated as

4575-472: The years following the collapse of the Soviet Union . According to Bout's personal website, he founded an air freight business, Air Cess, in Liberia in 1995. Air Cess is the only company connected to Bout that has ever officially recognized him as the head. He operated four Antonov An-8 planes in Angola as it was the only country to allow the An-8 to be used in civilian freight at the time. Reportedly, Bout's companies legally provided air freight services to

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4650-422: Was able to secure a deal with Boeing in order to procure airplane parts which were no longer available due to breakdown of relations with Russia. During the Soviet period , not all Antonov-designed aircraft were manufactured by the company itself. This was a result of Soviet industrial strategy that split military production between different regions of the Soviet Union to minimise potential war loss risks. As

4725-418: Was convicted by a jury at a federal court in Manhattan on 2 November 2011. On 5 April 2012, Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the minimum sentence for conspiring to sell weapons to a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group. US District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled that the minimum sentence was appropriate because "there was no evidence that Bout would have committed the crimes for which he

4800-529: Was convicted had it not been for the sting operation ". Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement denouncing Bout's sentence as "a political order". During the trial, Bout's lawyers implied that he was a political prisoner . Bout's wife Alla said shortly afterwards that the judge conducted the trial in a proper way. Bout claimed that if the same standards were applied to everyone, all American gun shop owners "who are sending arms and ending up killing Americans" would be in prison. In June 2013,

4875-407: Was extradited from Thailand to the United States amid protests by the Russian government , who deemed it illegal. Russia called the Thai court decision in 2010 politically motivated. Russia's Foreign Ministry tried to prevent Bout being extradited to the U.S. Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Bout was innocent. On 18 November 2010, shortly after Bout's extradition to

4950-444: Was fitted with a tricycle undercarriage with main gear units housed in pods on either side of the fuselage, and an upswept rear fuselage providing clearance of the tail unit for loading and unloading. The aircraft made its first flight on 11 February 1956 from Sviatoshyn Airfield , Kyiv and made its public debut at the Aviation Day air display at Tushino Airfield on 18 August that year. Following State acceptance trials, production

5025-440: Was held at the United States Penitentiary, Marion . In 2022, he was released in a prisoner exchange for American basketball player Brittney Griner , who had been sentenced, in August 2022, to 9 years of imprisonment for bringing 0.7g of cannabis oil into Russia. Bout had served 10 years in prison before his release in December 2022. After returning to Russia, Bout joined the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia in 2022 and won

5100-399: Was involved in negotiations to free Russian hostages during the 1995 Airstan incident . In 2000, a United Nations report stated, "Bulgarian arms manufacturing companies had exported large quantities of different types of weapons between 1996 and 1998 on the basis of (forged ) end-user certificates from Togo ", and that "with only one exception, the company Air Cess, owned by Victor Bout,

5175-452: Was not recommended due to poor spin characteristics, directional stability and control issues, nosewheel shimmy, poor controllability when landing in crosswinds above 6 m/s (12 kn) and also phugoid oscillations in all three axes which were difficult to control and made piloting the prototype tiring. As well as the aerodynamic faults, the TV-2 engines were unsuitable, being unstable at high altitudes and difficult to start, as well as having

5250-425: Was released back to Russia on 8 December 2022. Once confirmation came on that the prisoner exchange excluded Whelan, CNN interviewed him. Whelan expressed his frustration that more has not been done to secure his release in the exclusive CNN interview. Whelan continued and said he was happy that Griner was released, but told CNN, "I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as

5325-400: Was relocated to Kiev , a city with a rich aviation history and an aircraft-manufacturing infrastructure restored after the destruction caused by World War II . The 1957 introduction of the An-10 / An-12 family of mid-range turboprop aeroplanes began the successful production of thousands of these aircraft. Their use for both heavy combat and civilian purposes around the globe continues to

5400-710: Was reportedly seen meeting with Hezbollah officials in Lebanon during the run-up to the 2006 Lebanon War , while some sources claim he was actually in Russia when the meeting took place. Records found in Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi 's former intelligence headquarters in Tripoli , shortly after the overthrow of the Gaddafi government in 2011, indicated that in late September 2003, British intelligence officials told then-Libyan intelligence chief Musa Kusa that Bout had

5475-602: Was the main transporter of these weapons from Burgas airport in Bulgaria". This was the first time Bout was formally mentioned in connection with arms trafficking . The weapons may have been destined for use in the Angolan Civil War by UNITA , the opposing faction of the MPLA which Bout had aided during his military service. Another suspected arms dealer, Imad Kebir, is said to have employed Bout's aircraft during

5550-455: Was to create an agricultural aircraft CX-1 (An-2), the first flight of which occurred on 31 August 1947. The An-2 biplane was a major achievement of this period, with hundreds of these aircraft still operating as of 2013. In addition to this biplane and its modifications, a small series of gliders A-9 and A-10 were created and built in the pilot production in Novosibirsk . In 1952, the Bureau

5625-540: Was used for air sampling following Chinese nuclear testing in 1966. They continued in large-scale use on frontline military duties in the Soviet Air Force until the 1970s, when many were later transferred to Aeroflot for use as freighters. Following a series of accidents in the early 1990s, the An-8 was withdrawn from use in Russia. This did not mean the end of the An-8, however as a number were sold overseas with

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