Investigators probing the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday said that they found fragments “probably” from a Russian-made surface-to-air missile at the crash site.
The passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on July 17 last year during heavy fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists. All 298 people onboard were killed.
Ukraine and many in the West have accused the rebels of blowing the Boeing 777 out of the sky, saying they might have used a BUK missile supplied by Russia.
Photo: AP
Moscow and the rebels deny any responsibility and point the finger at Ukraine’s military.
About two-thirds of the people killed were Dutch citizens on their way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.
Dutch public prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said that international and Dutch investigators were examining seven “considerable fragments of some size ... probably from a BUK missile system.”
A joint statement from prosecutors and the Dutch Safety Board said the fragments were “secured during a previous recovery mission [at the crash site] in eastern Ukraine and are in possession of the criminal investigation team and the Dutch Safety Board.”
However, investigators said it was not yet clear whether the apparent missile pieces were related to the attack.
“It’s too early to say that the fragments we found were, for instance, from the BUK rocket that possibly shot down MH17,” Westerbeke told state broadcaster NOS.
The investigation was “really getting closer” to finding out who was behind the attack, Westerbeke said.
The statement from the safety board and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) said the fragments “can possibly provide more information about who was involved in the crash of MH17.”
The investigation team, which is carrying out a criminal probe, has representatives from the Netherlands, Ukraine, Australia, Malaysia and Belgium — the countries worst affected by the crash.
“The JIT will internationally enlist the help of experts, among others forensic specialists and weapon experts,” the investigation team said.
Dennis Schouten, deputy head of the association of MH17 victims’ relatives, told reporters that the announcement was “in line with expectations.”
“This was already one of the most realistic scenarios,” Schouten said.
Dutch authorities completed the recovery of debris and bodies from the crash site in April, having previously been hindered by ongoing fighting.
Russia last month vetoed a bid at the UN Security Council to set up an international tribunal to try those behind the downing of the aircraft.
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