MH17 shot down by missile from Russia, say investigators

International prosecutors investigating the downing of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine say the missile that hit the plane was fired from territory controlled by Russian-backed rebels.

A report by the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) confirmed the missile that downed the plane was brought in from Russia and fired from rebel-controlled territory during the conflict in eastern Ukraine, The

Independent reported. “It may be concluded MH17 was shot down by a 9M38 missile launched by a Buk, brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation, and that after launch was subsequently returned to the Russian Federation,” Wilbert Paulissen, a senior Dutch police official said. “The conclusion is that MH17 was shot down by a Buk missile launched from a site around 6 km south of the village of Snizhne,” he added.

They traced the convoy carrying the Buk, originally with four missiles, from the Russian border through the cities of Donetsk, Torez, Snizhne and on to the launch site, according to IANS.

“Russia is disappointed that the situation around the investigation of the Boeing catastrophe is not changing," its foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement, adding: “The conclusions... confirm that the investigation is biased and politically motivated.”

On July 17, 2014, all 283 passengers and 15 crew members on the Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur flight were killed when their Boeing 777-300 was blown up by a missile over eastern Ukraine.