Dutch prosecutors say possible fragments of BUK missile system found at MH17

The debris has been passed to the Dutch Safety Board, which is carrying out the civilian investigation into the July 2014 crash.

Investigators in the downing of Flight MH17 have reported finding fragments of a suspected Russian missile system at the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

“The parts are particularly important for the criminal investigation: they can possibly give more information about who was involved in the MH17 crash”, the Public Prosecutor writes. Russian Federation last month vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution to establish an global criminal tribunal to investigate the downing of Flight 17.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was brought down over conflict-torn Ukraine. He declined to give more details of the parts that are under investigation.

All 298 on board were killed when MH17 crashed near the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The Joint Investigation Team carrying out the criminal probe into the crash consists of the Netherlands, Ukraine, Australia, Malaysia and Belgium.

These expert consultations are expected to continue for several days. Those planes had been shot down at lower altitudes.

Determining where the missile was fired from also may require trying to determine from what direction the plane was struck. “In its final report the Dutch Safety Board will report on the discovered parts”, according to the press release.