Russian Foreign Ministry confirms exchange of Bout for Griner in UAE

At the airport in Abu Dhabi, the exchange of the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for American basketball player Brittney Griner has been successfully completed, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Russian Federation said, Report informs via Russian media.

“For a long time, the Russian Federation had been negotiating with the United States on the release of Viktor Bout. Washington categorically refused dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian citizen in the exchange. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to work actively to rescue our compatriot,” the ministry stated.

Griner was arrested for trying to ‘bring drugs illegally into Russia’ through Sheremetyevo Airport. On August 4, a court in Khimki, near Moscow, sentenced the athlete to 9 years in prison, taking into account the confession of guilt and her sporting achievements as mitigating circumstances.