Flight International - 5 June 2018

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Inquiry has been unable to discover why 777-200ER was shot down, or identify who was responsible

Hollandse Hoogte/REX/Shutterstock

E

xtensive analysis of distinc-

tive features on a Buk surface-

to-air missile transporter, used to

shoot down Malaysia Airlines

flight MH17, shows the vehicle

originated from a Russian armed

forces division stationed outside

the city of Kursk.

The Joint Investigation Team

probing the destruction of the

Boeing 777-200ER on 17 July

2014 has scrutinised characteris-

tics of the vehicle and its move-

ments, and concluded that it

originated from the 53rd anti-

aircraft missile brigade.

In an update to the MH17

criminal inquiry, the team has

detailed its examination of video

footage and photographs which

led to the finding.

Dutch national police criminal

investigation department chief

Wilbert Paulissen says he is “con-

vinced” the analysis – which

needs to be legally sound – has

proven the transporter’s origin.

Chief prosecutor Fred Wester-

beke says that, while the criminal

probe is “steadily progressing”, it

remains “large and complicated”,

and that the inquiry is currently

unable to answer the crucial ques-

tions as to why MH17 was shot

down and who was responsible.

Westerbeke points out that the

determination of the origin of the

transporter opens new avenues

for the criminal probe.

“This observation raises ques-

tions, such as the question

whether the brigade itself was ac-

tively involved in the downing of

flight MH17,” he says. “It is an

important question which the

[team] is still investigating.”

WIDENING NET

Russian authorities have not re-

ported to the team that a Buk mis-

sile transporter from the brigade

was used in eastern Ukraine,

from where the investigators

have previously shown that the

missile was fired.

Westerbeke says the team “no

longer” wants to deal “exclusive-

SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

MH17 probe implicates Russian forces

Moscow dismisses evidence linking missile transporter to Kursk-based brigade, claiming investigation is “one-sided”

ly” with Russian authorities in

order to obtain information on the

subject, and it is publicly opening

its lines of inquiry to other indi-

viduals – even inviting personnel

from the brigade itself, and their

friends and family, to respond.

Paulissen states that the team

is looking specifically for infor-

mation on those responsible for

the Buk’s deployment on the day

of the attack, what instructions

were given, and by whom.

Analysis of the transporter has

identified several features of the

vehicle, including centre-of-grav-

ity markings, numbers, white

spots, and characteristics includ-

ing an opening on the side-skirt

and a distinctive single spokeless

wheel on the right side.

All of these have helped build

a “fingerprint” of the vehicle,

says the inquiry, which uniquely

matches one from the 53rd anti-

aircraft missile brigade – which

comprises three operational bat-

talions – and not “any other”

such transporter.

The inquiry says a convoy of

about 50 assorted vehicles, in-

cluding six Buk transporters, left

the brigade’s station at Kursk on

23 June, heading south.

Multiple videos and photo-

graphs supplied to the investiga-

tors have enabled the team to

compare licence plates and loca-

tion identifiers.

The convoy travelled a route

through Stary Oskol, Alexeyevka,

Rossosh and Millerovo over the

course of 23-25 June 2014. Mil-

lerovo is some 430km (267 miles)

from Kursk but just 25km from

the Ukrainian border.

REPEATED SIGHTINGS

Previous analysis had already

shown the missile transporter

used to bring down MH17 was

recorded multiple times on 17-18

July 2014 when it was transport-

ed in Ukraine on a red low-loader

trailer drawn by a white Volvo

tractor unit.

However, Moscow has dis-

missed the investigators’ latest

findings. The Russian foreign af-

fairs ministry says the “accusa-

tions” from the Joint Investigation

Team are “unfounded”.

It adds that the conclusions are

“aimed at discrediting our coun-

try in the eyes of the international

community”.

The ministry says the Russian

side has not finished examining

requests for legal assistance from

the Dutch prosecutor in the ongo-

ing case.

“Nothing was said [during the

update] about the assistance we

provided during the investiga-

tion,” it states, adding that the in-

vestigators “forgot to mention”

Russia’s hosting of Dutch investi-

gators in Moscow, and its declas-

sification and supply of technical

data on Buk missiles.

The Russian ministry also men-

tions a failure to acknowledge

missile manufacturer Almaz-An-

tey’s experiment, conducted in

October 2015, during which a

warhead was detonated against an

Ilyushin Il-86 cockpit to highlight

differences compared with the

damage inflicted on MH17.

The foreign ministry says the

findings of the investigators “can-

not be characterised [as anything

but] absolutely untenable”.

“All this only confirms our ear-

lier expressed concerns about the

bias and one-sidedness of the on-

going investigation,” it states.

“Nonetheless, we will continue to

provide assistance so that the truth

about the crash of flight MH17 is

established, and the true perpetra-

tors are brought to justice.” ■