MH17 Ukraine plane crash: What we know (original) (raw)

The plane crashed in rebel-held eastern Ukraine at the height of the conflict between government troops and Russian-backed separatists.

The Dutch report commissioned three separate investigations - from Dutch, Russian and Ukrainian bodies - to look at where the missile launcher could have been located. It said the missile could have been fired from an area of about 320 sq km in the east of Ukraine.

The JIT and the government in Ukraine say the missile was brought from Russia and launched from the rebel-held part of eastern Ukraine.

In June 2016, the JIT published a photo of a large Russian-made Buk missile component found at the crash site.

In its September 2016 report, the team used witness testimony, intercepted phone calls, photographs and satellite imagery showing scorched land to pinpoint the launch site on high ground at Pervomaiskyi, near Snizhne, in territory held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

It said it had been able to track the course of the missile trailer from Russia to the launch site and immediately back into Russian territory following the downing of the plane.

Then in May 2018, Dutch investigators concluded that the missile belonged to a Russian brigade, the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade based at Kursk.

Moscow's defence ministry rejected the allegation, and has previously insisted that none of its weapons were used to bring down MH17. But the team of international investigators found that "all the vehicles in a convoy carrying the missile were part of the Russian armed forces".

"On the basis of the [joint international team's] conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation that was used to down MH17," Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said.

Investigators have called on Russia to fully co-operate with the probe. After Russia claimed it had evidence the rocket was fired from Ukrainian-held territory, they promised to review any evidence the country could provide.

As for the identities of the perpetrators, the JIT has identified a "long list" of 100 possible suspects, including the four men named in June 2019.