DISINFO: Inquiry into Russia's involvement in the MH17 case is unfounded
SUMMARY
The accusation of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) regarding Russia’s involvement in the crash of the “Boeing” Malaysian MH17 plane is unfounded, biased and unilateral.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative doubting the integrity and findings of the investigation process of the MH17 downing.
The criminal investigation in the case was led by the Joint Investigation Team - JIT - since in 2014. On 28 September 2016, the JIT announced that flight MH17 was shot down by a missile from the 9M38 series, which was launched by a BUK TELAR missile system. The system was transported from the Russian Federation to an agricultural field near the town of Pervomaiskyi in Eastern Ukraine, from where the missile was launched. After firing, the system - with 1 missing missile - went back to the Russian Federation. On the 24th of May 2018, the JIT announced its conclusion the BUK TELAR used to shoot down MH17 came from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, a unit of the Russian armed forces from Kursk in the Russian Federation.
On the basis of the investigation conducted by the JIT, the Dutch Public Persecution service will prosecute Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin, Sergey Nikolayevich Dubinskiy, Oleg Yuldashevich Pulatov, and Leonid Volodymyrovych Kharchenko for causing the crash of the MH17 and murdering the 289 persons on board. The public hearing is scheduled for March 9, 2020 in the Netherlands.