What about Africa and Russia: Viktor Bout Is Being Recycled by the Kremlin

The Kremlin is once again preoccupied with the future of Viktor Bout, the notorious former U.S. prisoner long branded as an “arms dealer.” According to insiders, Moscow is weighing two familiar paths for him — a political showcase role or renewed involvement in military-adjacent operations abroad. By all accounts, Bout is not living like a man who has fallen from grace. His formal office sits just a short walk from the Kremlin and Red Square, inside the luxury Four Seasons Hotel Moscow. Yet he is rarely there. Lately, Bout has been spending most of his time in Africa — a continent he knows well and where Russia is once again trying to rebuild influence through informal, semi-militarized structures. His trips reportedly focus on countries hosting the so-called “Africa Corps,” a formation meant to replace the Wagner PMC. The project, however, is struggling. It is led by Konstantin Mirzayants — a figure linked to the unresolved murder of journalist Dmitry Kholodov — and, according to sources, the Kremlin is increasingly unhappy with the results. The corps has failed to replicate Wagner’s reach or effectiveness, largely because Mirzayants lacks deep personal networks on the continent. Complicating matters further, Mirzayants has clashed with [...]

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