Ukraine Claims Evidence Pro-Russians Shot Down Malaysia Flight MH17

Ukraine Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Kiev has evidence the pro-Russians in east Ukraine shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Luhansk.

“The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) and the Interior Ministry have collected and continue to collect irrefutable evidence and proof that point to the authors of this tragedy from the terrorist organization DNR/LNR (Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republic), and their Russian, Putinist masters,” he said. “The data we have allow us to state that the plane Boeing 777 was shot down by the Donetsk terrorists with the use of anti-missile system Buk M, which was transferred from Russia’s territory,” the State Security Service said in a statement.

The Kyiv Post published portions of the evidence. 

According to Avakov, the groups said they had a BUK anti-missile system. This system hits targets at 15.5 miles or 82,021 feet. The airplane flew at 33,000 feet. On July 14, SBU received more information that Russia provided the rebels with the BUK system “with a team.”

More from The Kyiv Post:

July 17, 1 a.m. SBU’s counter-intelligence department receives information that Russian Federation passed a Buk, complete with a team, to the terrorist groups in Ukraine. It was transferred over the border close to the town of Sukhodolsk at 1 a.m.

July 17, 9:00 a.m. Buk was moved to Donetsk, and later to Pervomaisk. The information comes from another tapped conversation released by the SBU where two terrorists, identified as “Khmuryi” (Sergei Nikolayevich Petrovskiy, officer of Main Intelligence Department of the Main Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) and “Buryat” (an unidentified fighter of Donetsk People’s Republic) discuss what to do with the missile launch system. Buryat says he brought one system, and it needs to be hidden. But Khmurui says it will traveling [sic] along with tanks of Vostok battalion, and directs the Buk to Pervomaisk.

July 18, 4:50 a.m. — Interior Ministry’s intelligence unit recorded a crawler tractor carrying a missile system moving towards the border of the Russian Federation. The video clearly shows missiles, but the middle one of three is missing.

“We’re analyzing this and other collected information. We think this is the very Buk system which shot at the civilian plane flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur,” Avakov said. He said that the terrorists were “trying to hide evidence of the terrible crime.”