Russian system shot at plane

‘BUK’ USED KILLED 298 ABOARD MALAYSIA FLIGHT – BUT WHO SHOT IT UNKNOWN

Amissile system from the 53rd anti-aircraft brigade of the Russian Armed Forces was used to shoot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, prosecutors investigating the disaster said yesterday.

The airliner was hit by a Russian-made missile on July 17, 2014, with 298 people on board, twothirds of them Dutch, over territory held by pro-Russian separatists. All aboard died.

“The buk (missile system) that was used came from the Russian Army, the 53rd brigade,” Chief Dutch Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said. “We know that was used, but the people in charge of this buk, we don’t know.”

Investigators appealed to the public to come forward and help identify members of the crew who operated the missile and determine how high up the chain of command the order originated.

“The Russian Federation didn’t help us in providing the information we brought out into the open today,” Malaysia said. “They didn’t give us this information, although a buk from their military forces was used.”

Russia has denied involvement in the incident. There was no immediate comment from Moscow on the investigative development.

Prosecutors said they had trimmed their list of possible suspects from more than a hundred to several dozen.

The investigators were not yet ready to issue any indictments, but when they do, they expect cooperation, or a firm international political response, Westerbeke said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cut short a trip to India to return in time for a Cabinet meeting today to discuss the latest findings in the inquiry.

An investigation team, drawn from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine, is gathering evidence.

Ukrainian Army General Vasyl Hrytsak, a member of the investigation team, said it would be crucial to pinpoint who issued the orders. –