Viktor But, charged by the US and Thailand with organization of illegal arms delivery for FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), must be given his specific sense of humor and special loyalty to his business partners. According to the statement by Robert P.Zakhariasievich, special agent for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), But said, when giving a promise to give a secret assistance to FARC, that “any communists are our friends”.     

Actually, it was exactly the above mentioned statement by special agent to the judge of the Southern District Theodore Katz to give occasion for arresting Mr. But in Bangkok. If it is proved that the odious Russian citizen had been preparing a delivery of 100 Russian mobile anti-aircraft systems “Igla” to FARC that is recognized as a terrorist group and also a drug dealing body, then Viktor But will be able to crack his jokes in American or, which is much worse, Thai prison.    

As we managed to find out, Viktor But used to be related to St Petersburg. Since 1992 he had been registered with his wife Alla in a block of flats situated on 15th Line. His wife Alla, a graduate from Arts-Industrial School, founded a Moscow fashion salon “AB Fashion Design” where she has been working as general director since 2002. Earlier she has had the fashion shows of her own designs in Johannesburg (S.Africa, 1998), Sophia (Bulgaria, 1999, 2000), United Arab Emirates (1999). The geography of her collections displays reflected partly traveling by Viktor But himself.      

In the early 90’s Mr. But assisted in renting aircrafts by the Aerokomplex Company that was jointly owned by Aeroflot and a businessman from the Emirates. Mr. But’s brother, Sergei, was a co-founder of a Moscow company Aerocontract, created by former managers of Aeroflot system Vyacheslav Koledinov, Alexei Batalov and Vasiliy Galkin. In 2005 the US finance ministry “united the family” and included Sergei But in the black list of persons, dealing with whom is fraught with being imposed sanctions on.      

Viktor But’s acquaintances describe him as a successful businessman who is unlikely to be engaged in weapons deliveries. In the mean time, according to DEA agent, as far back as the mid-90’s Mr. But attempted to organize a flight from Bulgaria by a transport aircraft over Chechnya’s territory so that to drop some caissons and boxes. It’s alleged by a DEA informer that those were caissons with weapons.  

Vasiliy Galkin, deputy director of Sherotel, who was Aeroflot representative in Ankara and then in Istanbul from1998-2003, knew Viktor But in person. Mr. Galkin held the position of general director of Aerokomplex – where 50% of stock belonged to Aeroflot – from May 1992 to October 1994. He told to a Novaya Gazeta correspondent that Viktor But assisted them in renting the aircraft.  

As for Aerocontract, where Sergei But was a co-founder, Vasiliy Galkin noted he participated in the company’s creation on the early stage and then stopped his co-ownership. 

Vasiliy Galkin describes Viktor But as a brilliant manager and a quick-think businessman who is always willing to render assistance. Galkin recalled that But was of help not only about the aircraft. Once he brought from the Emirates the furniture necessary for the office. Another time he helped a Russian crew that got imprisoned in Afghanistan. Mr. Galkin says he cannot imagine Viktor But to have been involved in the illegal arms deliveries. In his opinion, arresting the businessman is caused with political matters and is related to another attempt of making a pressure on Russia. 

Former secret services employees note that intelligence agents often worked in the oversea offices of Aeroflot using it as a cover. However, Galkin said Mr. But was not security service officer.

We failed to get in touch with Sergei But and other former co-founders of Aerocontract. Alla But was unavailable for giving comments.

Aeroflot reported that that past-long-ago period was difficult for the company, but later all the body of oversea representatives was replaced, and Aeroflot has no relation to Viktor But at the moment.  

Our experts also noticed that Viktor But’s biography - who used to be a military translator and served in Angola till 1991 – coincides partly with that of Igor Sechin, deputy head of the President’s Administration, who also was a military translator in Angola and Mozambique. Same associations are related to Viktor But’s St Petersburg’s past. However, Vasiliy Galkin, who knew Mr. But personally reports to have never heard But and Sechin to be acquainted.

See the report by the DEA special agent at: media.washingtonpost.com