MH17 shot down by Buk missile brought in from Russia-investigators
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed over eastern Ukraine by a Buk missile brought in from Russia and fired from a village under the control of pro-Russian separatists, a team of international prosecutors said Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference in the Dutch city of Nieuwegein, Wilbert Paulissen, the head of the Dutch National Detective Force, said there was conclusive evidence that a Russian-made Buk 9M38 missile downed the passenger flight on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board.
After the missile launch, the Buk was returned to Russian territory the next day, he said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the findings pointed to the “direct involvement” of Russia, and said an investigation was ongoing into specific suspects and their “place in the chain of command” in order to pursue a criminal case.
Russia, which has repeatedly denied any involvement in the downing of the plane, rejected the report.
“The findings of the Dutch prosecutor’s office confirmed that the investigation was biased and politically motivated,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a press conference on Wednesday.
On Monday, Russia’s defense ministry released radar data which it claimed showed that if the plane was shot down, it was done so by Ukrainian forces.
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