Russia sent official extradition requests to U.S. for Bout and Yaroshenko

Russia expects the United States to respond to its extradition requests for Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko.

"Requests for both Bout's and Yaroshenko's extradition have been forwarded officially to the U.S. Department of Justice," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a news briefing in Moscow on Thursday.

"We still expect a response from the U.S. Unfortunately, there has been none so far," he said.

Russia is closely monitoring the situation surrounding Bout and Yaroshenko, he said.

"We are continuing and will continue to seek Bout's and Yaroshenko's return to their home country," he said.

Lukashevich described the sentences handed down on Bout, who was found guilty of arms trafficking, and Yaroshenko, convicted of drug smuggling, as unjust.

"We view these convictions as biased and over-politicized," he said.