MH17 breakthrough: owner of Volvo truck that transported missile fears for his life

THE world may be closer to finding who exactly shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. But will a key witness live to tell his side?

“YES, this is my vehicle”.

The world is one step closer to locating the separatists who shot down Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.

The owner of a Volvo truck that reportedly smuggled a BUK missile into Ukraine that downed flight MH17 has been found — and now fears for his life.

“Yes, of course. It is easy to recognise. We know our vehicles. Yes, it is ours,” he confirmed.

“It is the only Volvo with such a cabin”.

A convoy transporting the launcher across the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine say this is evidence MH17 was shot down with the use of Buk antimissile system.

Photo showing a BUK missile system. This weapon platform was responsible for bringing down MH17.

New evidence suggests pro-Russian rebels are responsible for the attack after the man, known only as Vasilijus, told Lithuanian website alfa.it the vehicle was stolen by them on July 8.

Footage shot by a secret team of Ukrainian police in the early morning after the attack shows the missile being smuggled out of eastern Ukraine, close to the scene of the crash, the day after the plane was shot out of the sky.

The man was located after footage clearly showed the vehicle, on the move towards Russia, was a white Volvo.

Mr Vasilijus is reportedly the only owner of a truck in the Donetsk region matching that description.

“Do not reveal my name — I already have plenty of problems,” he told alfa.it.

“My base in Donetsk was taken over and it was parked there. Yes, this is my vehicle. They came to our base and said they needed it.

“Everyone left from the eighth (of July), and the base was under their control, including my equipment and that white truck.”

He added the rebels took over his business nine days before the flight was struck by a ground-to-air air missile, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.

It is unclear what kind of work Mr Vasiliy is involved in, but he confirmed the “base” are still in rebel hands and he and his crew have not been back since.

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A part of MH17 at the crash site in the village of Hrabove (Grabovo), some 80km east of Donetsk. Picture: Bulent Kilic

Vasilijus is a key witness to the investigation, considering he is one of the few people who could identify the rebels responsible for the attack.

“The testimony of this person is exceptionally important — it becomes undeniably clear that the anti-aircraft system that shot down the passenger plane was in the hands of the terrorists supported by the Kremlin,” alfa.it writes.

Worsening clashes between separatists and government forces in Ukraine have again frustrated investigators trying to recover bodies and possessions from the MH17 crash site.

The joint team of Australian, Dutch and Malaysian officials were delayed and had only limited access to the crash site on Monday (Ukrainian time) because of increased shelling and gunfire in nearby areas.

Australian Investigators prepare to leave Soledar for the MH17 crash site in the Ukraine.

Human remains and personal items of victims were recovered on the previous three days at the site, but the Australian Federal Police made no mention of similar finds on the fourth day.

Australia’s special envoy Angus Houston assured that all fire was directed away from the convoy to the west, even though the sounds of battle were quite close to the investigation team. He said the situation on the ground was monitored continuously but investigators wouldn’t be walking away from their mission. “We’ll stay here as long as that takes, provided the conflict situation allows it,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday.

“If there are any doubts we stop, as we did today.” The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has been seeking assurances from both sides of the conflict that the investigation team will be granted safe passage to the crash site.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on July 17. All 298 passengers and crew perished, including 39 Australian citizens and residents.

Pro-Russian separatists have denied responsibility for the attack.