ZCZC
BFF-46
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-NETHERLANDS-MH17
Russia claims fresh ‘proof’ Ukraine downed flight MH17
MOSCOW, Sept 17, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Russia’s defence ministry on Monday said
it was releasing fresh information to back its claim that the missile that
downed a Malaysia Airlines flight over war-torn Ukraine in 2014 was fired by
Kiev’s forces.
At a briefing, the ministry said it was releasing the BUK missile’s serial
number for the first time and said that it was produced and sent to Ukraine
in the Soviet era and had not been returned to Russian territory.
Russia has denied any responsibility for the shooting-down of the plane
and has presented a number of theories pointing the finger at Kiev.
The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed outside the
rebel stronghold of Donetsk on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 on board, most
of them Dutch nationals.
The European Union imposed damaging economic sanctions on Russia
afterwards, blaming Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine who shot down a
number of other planes.
A top Dutch investigator said his team had concluded that the plane was
shot down by a Russian-made BUK missile from a Russian military brigade in
the southwestern city of Kursk.
The Netherlands and Australia in May directly blamed Russia for the
attack.
“The missile with the serial number 886847379 intended for the BUK missile
system on December 29, 1986 was sent by rail transport to military unit
number 20152,” said a senior military official, Nikolai Parshin, quoted by
RIA Novosti state news agency.
He said the military unit referred to was based in Ukraine, then a Soviet
republic, adding that this information was classified “top secret.”
“After the breakup of the Soviet Union, it (the missile) was not brought
onto Russian soil and was incorporated into the Ukrainian armed forces,” he
said.
Russia said it had sent the information on the missile to the Netherlands.
The ministry also said that video footage used by an international
commission investigating the incident showing the BUK missile being
transported into rebel-held eastern Ukraine was faked.
It cited factors such as the way light fell on the moving vehicle and
claimed it is shown driving in reverse.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday signed a decree not to
extend an official friendship agreement with Russia.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1742 hrs