MH17 shot down by Russian-made missile, says report

Moscow, October 14 Russian Federation has urged a continued investigation into the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over conflict-hit eastern Ukraine in July 2014, in which all 298 people on board were killed.

“The ongoing criminal investigation, which is being led by the Dutch with our full support, must provide definitive answers and allow us to pursue the strongest possible action against those responsible”, he said.

“Russia is seeking to discredit the investigation”, she said. It’s highly probable, too, that those involved in shooting down the plane, or their supporters, did little to facilitate a proper inquiry. Missile fragments found in the cockpit crew’s bodies, as well as paint traces, enabled investigators to identify the Buk.

The Netherlands has headed the investigation into the disaster because 196 victims on the flight were Dutch, and Ukraine agreed to let the Netherlands take the lead role. “Today we can say definitely, that in case Boeing-777 of Malaysian Airlines had been hit by a BUK missile complex, that would mean that it had been hit by a 9M38 missile launched from the Ukrainian-controlled territory according to rebel group”. That dossier came from the state-backed manufacturer of the BUK missile which is widely believed to have brought down MH17.

But two sources told the Volkskrant that “the BUK missile is developed and made in Russian Federation”.

“It can be assumed that the rebels would not be able to operate such a device”. Following the cockpit separation from the fuselage of the plane, the report said those on board would have been exposed to extreme conditions inside the cabin. “I suspect the involvement of former Russian military officials”.

Other crew members and passengers apparently died due to decompression, reduced oxygen levels, extreme cold, powerful airflow, and flying objects.

The findings were dismissed by missile maker Almaz-Antey, after a test that “disputes the version of the Dutch”, adding that the damage pointed to the use of an older type of missile.

Ukraine and Western allies of the country blame the missile attack on a militia in the country’s east, which allegedly had been provided with the weapons by Russian Federation.

The board also noted that Ukraine should have closed off airspace to civilian planes.

“It seems the commission was picking evidence”, Storchevoi told reporters, adding that Russian Federation “categorically disagrees with the report’s conclusions”, state news agency TASS reported. The rest of the plane is said to have flown five miles before crashing to the ground.

Dutch Safety Board chairman Tjibbe Joustra confirmed that a Russian-brand of missile fired from the war zone had brought down the plane, with pieces of the missile recovered from the crash site.