MH17 investigation: Key findings revealed
AFTER a two-year investigation, the strongest finger yet has been pointed at Russian separatists for shooting down MH17 — as 100 suspects are sought.
MH17 investigation findings revealed
Buk missile launched near Russian separatist controlled village
100 people are suspects
Russia denied involvement before findings released
Tony Abbott tells Russia to take responsibility
THE exact location of the Buk missile used to shoot down MH17 killing all 298 people on board in July 2014 has been revealed today after a two-year investigation.
The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) made up of police officers from Australia, Holland, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine have presented the first findings of their painstaking investigation to the families of victims and media.
1.05AM: Buk missile producer says probe lacks tech proof
Buk missile producer Almaz-Antey says international investigators lack the “technical proof” to back their conclusions, adding that three of their own experiments actually showed flight MH17 was downed from Kiev-controlled territory.
Mikhail Malyshevsky, an adviser to the chief designer of Almaz-Antey, said the doomed plane was brought down in the village of Zaroshenskoye, which was then controlled by the Ukrainian Army.
“To date, we conducted three experiments that confirm the version that the Malaysian Boeing was shot down by a missile from the direction of the village of Zaroshenskoye,” Malyshevsky told RIA Novosti, according to RT.
WATCH LIVE #AlmazAntey, manufacturer of the Buk missile system, presents report on #MH17 downing https://t.co/TGfsSNaji5 pic.twitter.com/zTmvnbMDVt
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) September 28, 2016
12.51AM AEST: Ukraine rebels deny downing MH17
A top pro-Russian separatist commander in eastern Ukraine, General Eduard Basurin of the self-proclaimed republic, hit out at the Dutch findings.
“The forces of the People’s Republic of Donetsk could not have fired at the plane from a BUK system because we have no such sort of weapons,” told said.
12.45AM AEST: Russia flat-out denies involvement
Russia has flatly dismissed accusations MH17 was downed by a Russian-made missile launched from a Ukrainian village held by pro-Russian rebels in 2014.
“To arbitrarily designate a guilty party and dream up the desired results has become the norm for our Western colleagues,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. “The investigation to this day continues to ignore incontestable evidence from the Russian side despite the fact that Russia is practically the only one sending reliable information to them.”
Zakharova complained that the Russian government had been prevented from playing a full role in investigators’ work and alleged that the Ukrainian government had been able to influence the inquiry using fabricated evidence.
Zakharova also said she hoped new radar data presented by the Russian military would prompt the prosecutors to revise their findings.
Most of the 'evidence' used by #JIT in its investigation was provided by Ukraine, an interested party - @mfa_russia https://t.co/UsOSvGo6Bo pic.twitter.com/v5XK8zUOQG
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) September 28, 2016
12.22AM AEST: Russian foreign ministry disappointed
Moscow described as “biased” and “politically motivated” the Dutch-led inquiry into the downing of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine.
“Russia is disappointed that the situation around the investigation of the Boeing catastrophe is not changing,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement, adding: “The conclusions... confirm that the investigation is biased and politically motivated.”
12.04AM AEST: Ukraine says MH17 probe proves Russia’s ‘direct involvement’
Kiev said that the Dutch inquiry into the downing of Flight MH17 over rebel-held eastern Ukraine proved Russia’s “direct involvement” in the death of the 298 people on board.
“This information once again points to the direct involvement of the state-aggressor in downing the aircraft,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to Russia.
11.50PM AEST: Images of the Buk in transport
Bellingcat lead investigator, Elliot Higgins, shared a tweet showing the Buk missile in transport while the official Bellingcat Twitter account said Russian hackers tried to hack into their email.
In other news, Russian hackers linked to the Russian government tried to hack our email https://t.co/xy847Hcq9w #MH17 #UncoveringMH17
— bellingcat (@bellingcat) September 28, 2016
Full frames of the screen shots Paris Match published of the Buk in Donetsk #MH17 #UncoveringMH17 pic.twitter.com/qdgq2u6HUL
— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) September 28, 2016
11.39PM AEST: Russia reacts
Russia has reacted to the MH17 findings with the Donetsk People’s Republic dismissing the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team’s conclusions.
Eduard Basurin, the deputy defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic’s (DPR), said the findings are wrong reported Sputnik news.
“I believe that it [investigation] is brought to a deadlock on purpose. For the second time the team makes its conclusions, for the second time the conclusions are wrong,” Basurin told journalists.
11.26PM AEST: Bishop calls for unity to bring perpetrators to account
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the findings represent “significant progress” and has called on other countries to remain united in calling for a Security Council Resolution to bring the perpetrators to account.
“While we cannot take away the grief of those who lost their loved ones that day, we can do everything possible to ensure justice is done independently, fairly and transparently.”
“We will continue working to ensure that all the facts are known and justice is achieved for affected families, and the preservation of a rules-based international order.”
11.12PM AEST: The Buk transport route
An animation showing the transport of the Buk missile and the launch site and how investigators were able to determine this information.
10.55PM AEST: Australia committed to ongoing investigation
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said he was “very proud” to have been involved in the investigation that is one of the largest and most complex in AFP history.
Having initially deployed 23 officers, including a chief scientist, after the crash, this was scaled up to 450 officers over the course of the investigation.
He said the Australian team had been directly involved in work listening to wire tapped phone calls and identifying where parts of the Buk missile became embedded in the plane.
“We’ve been able to show the route into eastern Ukraine and the route out of the missile. And we’ve been able to show where the launch site was for that missile,” he said.
“I think today is a really important step in terms of progressing that investigation from an AFP perspective.”
“At the end of the day 298 people died and 38 Australians. They no longer have a voice so it’s very important for us to have that voice for them.
“We’re committed to seeing it right through to the end”.
10.26PM AEST: Crowdsourced investigators have findings proven correct
Bellingcat, the crowdsourced investigation into MH17, have had their findings that it was a Buk missile responsible for the MH17 downing, proven correct by the JIT team.
Lead investigator Eliot Higgins said the forensic investigation confirms their findings from hours after the crash with extra evidence in the form of high-definition video and recorded phone conversations.
The question now is what happened to the Buk missile once it crossed the border into Russia and who is responsible for firing the missile.
“That’s the big mystery. No one knows and we certainly haven’t found any evidence of what happened when it crossed the border,” he said.
“We know it was heading towards the border. We have the timings…but it just disappears after that. I’m assuming they were doing their best to keep it hidden.”
The British investigator, who has also published a report into the Russian brigade he believes are responsible for transporting the missile into the Ukraine, said his team will analyse the new evidence.
“One thing to remember with this is that all the way through not only has Russia lied, but they’ve faked evidence in a criminal investigation. Now if you or I did that we would be in big trouble, let alone the murder of 298 people, so what is the reaction of the governments now?”
Here's who we say provided the missile launcher that shot down #MH17 https://t.co/6p022lsPlo #UncoveringMH17
— bellingcat (@bellingcat) September 28, 2016
The spin begins https://t.co/EZPjJ8o6ZZ
— bellingcat (@bellingcat) September 28, 2016
10.09PM AEST: Who actually pushed the button?
Dutch Head of Central Crime Wilbert Paulissen said the next question is: “Who did it? Who is responsible?”
The next investigation will focus on what happened to the trailer after it crossed back over the Russian border and who actually pushed the button to launch the missile.
Dutch prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said the fact that group does not have a jurisdiction for a trial is not yet a problem for the team.
He also clarified the source of the wiretaps which show conversations about the Buk missile were from Ukraine and “many requests are still pending” with the Russian Federation including that for primary radar data.
The official Twitter account of the investigations team has released a call for witnesses who know of the separatists involved in the launch who go by the code names of “Orion” and “Dolphin”.
A direct translation of the tweet reads, “International investigation group MH17 looking for witnesses for persons “Orion” and “Dolphin”.
Міжнародна Ñлідча група ÐœÐ17 розшукує Ñвідків щодо оÑіб “Оріона†та “Дельфіна". https://t.co/uTWEQNO6h1 #MH17 #Оріон #Дельфін
— JIT MH17 (@JITMH17) September 28, 2016
9.57PM AEST: Identities of suspects to remain hidden
Dutch Public Prosector Fred Westerbeke has refused to reveal the identity of the 100 people of interest but said the JIT is “fully confident” their work will result in a trial.
However he said if “you want to bring people to court then you must know what their nationality is and who they are” so “we won’t make that choice until we know who has to be tried.”
9.50PM AEST: Australia wants justice
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said the country remains committed to seeking justice for the 38 Australian residents and families affected.
The country has backed an extension of the team’s work until 1 January 2018 and will continue to supply specialist personnel “for as long as required” he said.
9.47PM AEST: Investigators have 100 suspects
MH17 Foundation boss Dennis Schouten said it was “mainly about the Buk installation, how it was transported into the Ukraine border, where it was going, supported by evidence from eyewitnesses to know which Buk it was.
Netherlands Head of Central crime Investigation Wilbert Paulissen has pointed the strongest finger at Russia yet saying:
“We have no doubt whatsoever that the conclusions we are presenting together are accurate and that conclusion is that MH17 was shot down by a Buk from farmland….[near Snizhe] and the system was brought from Russian Federation territory and returned to Russian territory afterwards.”
Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said they are looking into 100 people as to who is responsible and it will be up to a court to judge who is responsible.
He also appealed for insiders to come forward with information, raising the possibility of “relief from criminal liability”.
9.43PM AEST: Scorch marks reveal launch site
Evidence of the launch site is further backed up by satellite images showing caterpillar tracks and scorch marks on the ground from days on either side of the plane downing.
Scorch marks on the field clearly show the launch site and locals nearby said they ploughed it to prevent the fire from spreading.
Intercepted phone calls show the truck carrying the missile had returned to the Russian Federation the next day, with a voice saying “the vehicle is in Russia” amid panic over what had happened to it.
JIT team shows my photo from field near Chervonyi Zhovten and confirms this was the launch site of the Buk that downed #MH17. pic.twitter.com/GKMtA3h81D
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) September 28, 2016
9.36PM AEST: Images of Buk missile arriving in Snizhne
New images show the Buk missile on an open trailer arriving in Snizhne and being unloaded near a supermarket. It was last captured driving towards its final destination in a farmland 20km south east of the MH17 crash site around 4pm in the afternoon.
Interviews from those who live nearby revealed that people spoke of hearing an explosion followed by a whistling sound and seeing a smoke trail, the investigation team said.
9.33PM AEST: Investigators conclude missile launched near Russian controlled village
Netherlands Head of Central Crime Investigation Wilbert Paulissen said investigators concluded the launch site for the Buk missile used to shoot down the plane was a 500 metre by 600 square metre patch of farmland near the village of Snizhne controlled Russian separatists.
The conclusion was based on social media, eyewitnesses and intercepted telephone calls which show the Buk was brought in from Russia Federation territory into Ukraine.
Intercepted phone calls from June 2015 show that suspects saying “it was our territory for sure” in relation to where the missile was fired. One of the parties indicated the territory was controlled by pro-Russian soldiers.
The team came to the conclusion after searching several launch locations including some supplied by the Russian Ministry of Defence. They also exploded a missile in a test environment which allowed them to show the trajectory of the missile.
The missile was carried by a truck followed by soldiers in uniform.
9.24PM AEST: “If I can receive a Buk in the morning that would be good”
Netherlands Head of Central crime Investigation Wilbert Paulissen has begun by painting a picture of Ukraine at the time and will present animation and wiretapped conversations as evidence into where the missile was from.
A conversation in Russian recorded on 16 July shows people saying to one another:
“This sh-- is f----d up and there is nothing we can do about it.”
“If I can receive a Buk in the morning that would be good...if not things will be totally f---ed up.”
That was followed by a second conversation the following morning saying:
“Where should we unload this b--ch?”
9.11PM AEST: Accident ruled out early on
Netherlands Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said today’s evidence is the result of between 100-200 investigators and public prosecutors who have worked for two decades on hundreds of containers of evidence and thousands of pieces of wreckage.
The findings have taken into account millions of pages of internet data and 200 witnesses were questioned. There were 150,000 intercepted telephone calls which were listened to and assessed for authenticity, translated and analysed. All the information was recorded in 6000 official reports with the ultimate aim of providing evidence that could be legally used to find a perpetrator.
“We cannot and do not want to tell you everything yet because that could jeopardise the investigation,” he said in reference to the 100 suspects.
“One scenario appeared to be most likely fairly early on,” he said, adding that two theories were ruled out early on: of an accident and attack within the aircraft.
8.52PM AEST: Families — ‘We know what happened’
Families of the victims of the MH17 disaster said they have been given irrefutable proof the buk missile used to shoot down the plane came from within a Russian-backed separatist area of the Ukraine near the village of Snizhne.
Speaking outside the venue where they had been briefed ahead of waiting media, Robby Oehlers who lost his cousin Daisy in the disaster, said “we know what happened.”
“We already knew what they did, we only needed proof and now the proof is here.”
Head of the MH17 Foundation Dennis Schouten said he was “very satisfied” all loose ends had been tied up and families had been given “200 per cent” proof the missile was driven to the area by Russian separatists based on photographs, eyewitness accounts and videos they had been shown.
“It was not an accident,” said the man who lost his brother-in-law Donny Djodikromo in the disaster.
“The JIT team did their very best and clearly did their homework.”
“I’ve seen more evidence than I expected to see” said Silene Fredriksz-Hoogzand whose son Bryce and girlfriend Daisy Oehlers were killed.
She said she didn’t have a sense of closure from the briefing but felt “we are getting towards the truth”
Family members were also told the JIT is now investigating around 100 suspects while they try to bring the perpetrators to account.
From earlier
The findings are the result of thousands of hours of meticulous evidence gathering and interviews.
Last year, the Dutch Safety Board investigation revealed the plane travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur broke apart in mid-air after a Buk missile made by Russia manufacturer Almaz-Antey exploded within one metre of the cockpit.
Nearly 200 Dutch and 38 Australian citizens and residents were killed.
Russia has denied responsibility for the downing of the plane. On Monday, the country’s head of air and space forces Andrew Koban said previously missing raw data, which had recently been found, shows it could not have been a Buk missile from inside Russian-backed territory that downed the plane.
“We can conclude that if it was a BUK that was launched at the (Malaysian Airlines flight), this must have been launched from a location with the Ukrainian forces,” he said.
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has urged Russia to own up to their role in the alleged disaster — dismissing their denial by saying “Russians would say that.”
“I think the sooner Russia owns up to its role in all of this, and does what it can to offer restitution to the families of the victims, the better,” he told 3AW on Tuesday.
British man Jordan Withers, who lost his uncle Glenn Thomas, in the crash said he’s shocked it could take this long to find justice.
“I find it unbelievable hundreds of people can be murdered and everyone can be so slow to react,” he told UK media, saying he sometimes had to rely on “second hand information”.
“A couple of months later I went to the Netherlands and I was finding things out that I didn’t know. It’s still in the news there, they still get a lot of information.”
Wednesday’s findings come at a low-point for Western relations with Russia following the collapse of a ceasefire in Syria and widespread hacks which have disrupted the US presidential race.
The US and UK have branded Russia guilty of “war crimes” and “barbarism” in Syria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hit back at the “unacceptable tone” which “can damage and harm our relations.”
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