DISINFO: Russia is demonised by being blamed for the downing of MH17
SUMMARY
Ukraine immediately accused Russia for the downing MH17. Then they claimed that some other plane shot down the MH17 with air-to-air missile, then – that it was a surface-to-air missile. First came the accusation, then facts. It is demonisation of Russia.
RESPONSE
One of the many recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the downing of MH17. Pro-Kremlin media has promulgated many conflicting versions of the events.
The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team has concluded that flight MH17 was shot down on 17 July 2014 by a missile of the 9M38 series, launched by a BUK-TELAR, from farmland in the vicinity of Pervomaiskiy (or: Pervomaiskyi). At that time, the area was controlled by pro-Russian fighters. The BUK-TELAR was brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation and subsequently, after having shot down flight MH-17, was taken back to the Russian Federation.
In 2018, Bellingcat confirmed that the BUK missile launcher which hit the airline near Donetsk was brought from Russia.
See more on the investigation of the MH17 catastrophe by Bellingcat here.