Dutch name two Russian speakers in MH17 probe

First time anyone has been named over plane attack

THE HAGUE // Dutch prosecutors yesterday released the names of two Russian-speaking people they want to talk to in connection with the 2014 downing of Flight MH17.

It came hours after investigators said the missile responsible for shooting the Malaysia Airlines plane was transported from Russia.

The inquiry is “especially looking for more information” on two people, investigators said, hours after releasing a report into their initial criminal findings. The men using the pseudonyms Orion and Delfin were identified as Andrey Ivanovich and Nikolay Fiodorovich.

It is the first time the Dutchled investigation, which also involves Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine, named people in relation to the attack.

The inquiry team released five wiretapped conversations in Russian “in which these peo- ple participate”. “There is no evidence these calls are directly related to the shooting down of MH17”, but investigators said that if people recognised the voices, know either or had any “information concerning these people or their connection to the Buk (missile) that allegedly shot down MH17”, they should contact investigators immediately.

“If you are concerned about your safety, various protective measures can be taken,” the investigators said.

The conversation involves two men talking about a con- voy moving in the direction of an airport, at Sabivka near Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. The Boeing 777 passenger jet was brought down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014 on a routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch citizens.

The inquiry team concluded yesterday that the missile responsible for shooting down the plane came from a battery that was carried from Russia across the border into Ukraine and taken back after the launch.

The preliminary findings also said that about 100 people were under investigation for playing “an active role” in the incident and confirmed that the missile was fired from a field, which at the time was in territory held by pro-Moscow rebels battling Kiev.

Russia immediately described the report as “biased”, while Ukraine said it proved Moscow’s direct involvement in the tragedy.

The pro-Russian separatists denied having fired the missile or possessing such a weapon.

The incident killed all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch citizens