Kiev Claims Pro-Russians Shot Down Two Ukraine Fighter Jets Near MH17 Site

Ukraine officials claim pro-Russian forces in east Ukraine shot down two Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jets near Dmytrivka, which is near the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 site.

A spokesman for Ukraine’s military did not release a lot of information about the incidents or the people on board. Igor Strelkov, one of the rebel leaders, confirmed the separatists shot “down one plane and that the pilot ejected.”

The pro-Russians claim they do not have the ability to shoot down planes at high elevations when Kiev blamed them for the MH17 tragedy. However, these fighter jets can fly at 23,000 feet and MH17 was flying at 33,000 feet. This is just the latest evidence rebels own a Buk SA-11, which can take down planes at 33,000 feet. Other evidence includes intercepted phone calls and separatists showed off a Buk on social media. The separatists regularly attack low-flying Ukrainian military planes and took down an An-26 plane a few days before MH17 was shot down.

Kiev said the rebels are leaving their posts on the outskirts of Donetsk and returning to the city. Officials believe they do not want to be around the MH17 site.

“In Donetsk, rebels abandoned their positions en masse and went towards the central part of the city,” said officials. “It cannot be ruled out that the appearance of such movements could suggest the spread of panic and attempts to leave the place of warfare.”

The victims from MH17 are in Kharkiv and a Dutch military took sixteen coffins to The Netherlands on Wednesday morning. An Australian plane will transport 24 more victims.