Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 Crashes in Ukraine

May 25, 2018 - Moscow led to distrust JIT as Dutch-led inquiry locked Russia out of MH17 crash probe
Moscow led to distrust JIT as Dutch-headed inquiry locked Russia out of MH17 crash probe

Russia rejects the allegations that it was involved in the flight MH17 crash in Ukraine and mistrusts the conclusions drawn by the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team since Moscow had not been invited to participate in the probe, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

"I want to repeat the president’s words to you - the investigation was carried out in the Netherlands, this investigation team did not include the Russian side, though the Ukrainian side was represented," Peskov pointed out.

"Certainly, without having the possibility to be a full-fledged party, Russia does not know to what degree the conclusions of this endeavor can be trusted," he noted.

Moscow had shown its willingness to provide all the necessary assistance to identify those behind this tragedy, the spokesman stressed.

The Kremlin spokesman recalled that Ukraine had not taken the necessary steps to close its airspace despite the fighting, which was conducted on its territory. "These are two basic elements, which President Putin mentioned yesterday."

In comment on whether this mistrust means that Russia fully denies all the accusations against it, he said: "Certainly."

Peskov refused to comment on technical details mentioned in the Dutch investigators’ report. The document says in October 2014 the JIT already asked the Russian authorities to provide it with all information that may be important for establishing the truth. However, Moscow did not report to the JIT that the 53rd Brigade had been deployed in eastern Ukraine, it said.

"I can only say that there is mutual mistrust, and I cannot tell you more as I don’t have technical information," he said.

JIT's conclusions
On the basis of the JIT’s conclusions, The Netherlands and Australia have officially accused Russia of its alleged involvement in the 2014 flight MH17 crash in Ukraine and plan to hold Moscow responsible.

On Thursday, the Joint Investigation Team, consisting of representatives of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine, released its update in criminal investigation of flight MH17 crash. According to the JIT, "the BUK-TELAR that was used to down MH17, originates from the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade (hereinafter 53rd brigade), a unit of the Russian army from Kursk in the Russian Federation."

Russia’s Defense Ministry rejected all the accusations saying that none of the Russian Army’s air defense missile systems had ever crossed the border between Russia and Ukraine. The ministry also said that Russia provided the Dutch investigators with overwhelming evidence clearly pointing to the complicity of Ukrainian crews of Buk missile systems in destroying the Boeing airliner.


May 25, 2018 - Putin: MH17 ‘Investigation’ Invalid Without International Cooperation
Putin: MH17 'Investigation' Invalid Without International Cooperation - Fort Russ

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia will only recognize the results of the MH17 investigation if Russia is allowed to participate in the investigation.

At a press conference following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Putin recalled that although Moscow proposed to “work together to investigate the tragedy,” they have not been granted access to research carried out by the Joint Research Center of the team (JIT).

“For us to recognize what it (the JIT) says, we have to participate fully in the investigation,” Putin stressed.

On Thursday the JIT presented preliminary results of its investigation into the downing of the Malaysian Airlines plane in Donbass in 2014. The JIT claimed that preliminary results suggest that MH17 was downed by Russian Armed Forces.

The head of the Dutch Civil Police Investigations Department, Wilbert Paulissen, said the research group examining the circumstances surrounding the fall of Boeing in Donbass established that the Buk anti-aircraft system allegedly responsible belonged to the 53rd Russian Anti-aircraft Defense Brigade.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has said that “a Russian Armed Forces anti-aircraft system never crossed the Russian-Donbass border” and stated that the JIT investigation needs testimony from residents of Ukrainian and Donbass cities near the disaster site who say “that the missile was launched from the territory controlled by the Ukrainian military.”

“Of course, no proof of any kind was presented, just a very flashy video, filmed on the basis of ‘pre-made’ data by Bellingcat who had previously been accused of manipulating data in support of the Russian implication version,” a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.

Concern has also been expressed over the manipulation of social media images in the investigation.

On July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, which took the MH17 flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was struck by a missile when it was flying near Donetsk. Onboard the aircraft were 298 people, mostly Dutch; there were no survivors.

Fort Russ News has repeatedly drawn attention to the flawed nature of the JIT investigation and the inconsistencies of the MH17 narrative implicating Russia.


May 25, 2018 - Lavrov likens MH17 crash investigation to Skripal saga
Lavrov likens MH17 crash investigation to Skripal saga

The investigation into the MH17 crash in Donbass is reminiscent of the Skripal case as there is no evidence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday.

"It is very much reminiscent of the Skripal case, when they said that Russians were ‘highly likely’ behind it but at the same time added that an investigation was still underway and would take some time," Lavrov said. "It feels like a deja-vu, but if our partners have once again decided to speculate on the deaths of hundreds of people to achieve their political goals, I will leave it to their conscience," he added.

Lavrov said Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok failed to give evidence proving Russia’s involvement in the MH17 crash in Donbass.

"The Netherlands [foreign] minister called me today, he told me what is already known," Lavrov said. "He said there was no doubt that the Buk missile had been brought from Russia," he added.

"I asked him to provide facts to prove these allegations but he failed to give any," the Russian top diplomat pointed out.


May 25, 2018 - Russian military brass comments on MH17 crash investigation
Russian military brass comments on MH17 crash investigation

The missile fragment used as an argument to blame Russia for the MH17 flight disaster over Ukraine in 2014 is clear evidence that the projectile could not have belonged to the Russian armed forces, because all missiles from that year of production had been written off back in 2011, the Russian Defense Ministry told the media on Friday.

"One of the arguments the investigators used to back up their charges that the Russian military might have been involved in the tragedy was a fragment of the Buk missile’s engine demonstrated at a news conference. The serial number unambiguously indicates that the engine was manufactured in the Soviet Union back in 1986," the Defense Ministry said in a statement received by TASS.

"The engine fragment that the Joint Investigation Team demonstrated last Thursday indicates that the cutoff date for keeping those missiles in operation was 2011… After that, all missiles from that year of manufacture were withdrawn from service, written off and scrapped. However, all this unequivocally applies only to Russian air defense units, which received and still receive the necessary weapons in working condition from the sole manufacturer located in Russia," the Defense Ministry emphasized.

The only reason why the Joint Investigation Team remains silent about the origin of the engine from the Buk missile that downed Malaysia’s flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 is the projectile was of Ukrainian origin, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.

"The sole reason why the JIT stays quiet about the origin of the missile engine manufactured in 1986 is the missile more than likely belonged to the Ukrainian armed forces," the Russian Defense Ministry pointed out.
















 
angelburst29 said:
May 25, 2018 - Moscow led to distrust JIT as Dutch-led inquiry locked Russia out of MH17 crash probe
Moscow led to distrust JIT as Dutch-headed inquiry locked Russia out of MH17 crash probe

May 25, 2018 - Russian military brass comments on MH17 crash investigation
Russian military brass comments on MH17 crash investigation

The missile fragment used as an argument to blame Russia for the MH17 flight disaster over Ukraine in 2014 is clear evidence that the projectile could not have belonged to the Russian armed forces, because all missiles from that year of production had been written off back in 2011, the Russian Defense Ministry told the media on Friday.

"One of the arguments the investigators used to back up their charges that the Russian military might have been involved in the tragedy was a fragment of the Buk missile’s engine demonstrated at a news conference. The serial number unambiguously indicates that the engine was manufactured in the Soviet Union back in 1986," the Defense Ministry said in a statement received by TASS.

"The engine fragment that the Joint Investigation Team demonstrated last Thursday indicates that the cutoff date for keeping those missiles in operation was 2011… After that, all missiles from that year of manufacture were withdrawn from service, written off and scrapped. However, all this unequivocally applies only to Russian air defense units, which received and still receive the necessary weapons in working condition from the sole manufacturer located in Russia," the Defense Ministry emphasized.

The only reason why the Joint Investigation Team remains silent about the origin of the engine from the Buk missile that downed Malaysia’s flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 is the projectile was of Ukrainian origin, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.

"The sole reason why the JIT stays quiet about the origin of the missile engine manufactured in 1986 is the missile more than likely belonged to the Ukrainian armed forces," the Russian Defense Ministry pointed out.
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Телеканал Звезда
Star Channel
Represented by the Dutch engine rocket "Beech" belonged to the Armed Forces - the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Представленный голландцами двигатель ракеты «Бук» принадлежал ВСУ - Минобороны РФ
видео Video
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The specialists of the Russian military department, having studied the video materials presented at the press conference of the Dutch joint investigation team engaged in the investigation of the Boeing passenger catastrophe in the skies of Ukraine in 2014, concluded that the demonstrated survivor of the Buk anti-aircraft missile engine had nothing to do with the Russian air defense.

Having studied the materials, the Russian military department came to the conclusion that the serial number printed on the engine of the rocket clearly indicates that this unit was manufactured in 1986 in the Soviet Union. In this case, the warranty period for the operation of anti-aircraft missiles of this type is 15 years.

"The serial number, applied to the rocket engine, clearly indicates that this unit was manufactured in 1986 in the Soviet Union. In this case, the warranty period for the operation of anti-aircraft missiles of this type is 15 years. By the manufacturer-manufacturer, the deadline may be extended for another 5 years, but not more than twice. After 25 years of operation, all without exception the missiles of the Buk complexes are subject to write-off and disposal. Further use of these products, primarily because of the insecurity of engine gunpowder charges, poses a direct threat to life for servicemen, " the Russian military department said in a statement.

It stressed that the deadline for the operation of the missile, the engine from which was demonstrated by the Dutch commission last Thursday, was 2011 (1986 + 25), after which all missiles of this year were withdrawn, decommissioned and sent for recycling.

"However, all this, of course, concerns exclusively Russian air defense units who received and receive necessary and serviceable missile weapons from a single manufacturer, also located in Russia," the Defense Ministry stressed.

The report also noted that since the end of the existence of the USSR in 1991 and the subsequent division of military property into Ukraine, which received the ownership of about twenty divisions of the Buk SAM, no new anti-aircraft missile was delivered.

About the date and place of detection of this engine or the persons who handed over this aggregate to the investigative commission, the speakers preferred to remain silent.

MH17 Case: French Activist Explains Why He Feels Probe is Biased
Opinion 11:28 25.05.2018 (updated 11:54 25.05.2018)
French public figure Nikola Mirkovic, commenting on Dutch investigators' allegations that they have obtained strong evidence that the missile system that downed the MH17 flight over East Ukraine in 2014 was part of the Russian military, has told Sputnik that Ukraine should not be included in an investigative team.

Nikola Mirkovic, head of the Ouest-Est (West-East) organization engaged in humanitarian projects in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region, said that "from the very beginning, one could see the desire of those investigators to blame Russia [for shooting down the MH17 flight]."

"After three years of difficult work, the investigators claim that Russia is to blame. It should be understood that prosecutors and policemen from the Netherlands, which is a NATO member as well as another NATO member-state Belgium and – paradoxically — Ukrainian lawyers and policemen are involved in this investigation," Mirkovic said.

READ MORE: MH17 Case 'Politicized', Investigators Won’t Release Any Proof – Analyst

He recalled that Ukraine is also accused of downing the plane, so the question arises "what are they doing in this investigation group?"

"This indicates that the court is not necessarily unbiased [and] I want to add that, in addition to everything, they did not provide evidence," Mirkovic stressed.

He said that "if there really is a desire to find the perpetrators, it is necessary to create an investigation team which will be beyond any suspicion and which will be financed neither by NATO nor Russia."

READ MORE: Investigation, Findings, Inconsistencies: Timeline of MH17 Disaster

Pointing out that Russia does not have access to the MH17 investigation material which is not the case with Ukraine; Mirkovic said that he does not believe in the investigative group’s neutral stance.

"Considering those who are behind this group, I cannot believe in its neutrality. Maybe they are right or wrong, but in any case, I do not believe that they adhere to a neutral position," he emphasized.

Touching upon the Buk issue, he recalled that it is a Russian-made missile system so "it is quite possible that missiles launched by it were also made in Russia."

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Kiev 'Turned Blind Eye to Lives of 298 People Aboard MH17'

At the same time, he underlined that in this case, one should pay close attention to those who used this weapon rather than those who produced it, recalling that the BUK missile system "is used across the entire territory of the former Soviet Union."

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed regret over the Dutch investigators' allegations, saying that the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has ignored a significant amount of information, including radar monitoring data that cannot be manipulated.

READ MORE: 'We're Not Ready Yet': What MH17 Investigation Won’t Discuss

"In these circumstances, we have legitimate questions about the true reason for the JIT decision to announce the preliminary conclusions of the probe. In our opinion, all this only confirms our earlier concerns about the biased and one-sided approach to the ongoing investigation," the Ministry said.

Earlier, Wilbert Paulissen, head of the Dutch National Police's Central Crime Investigation department, claimed that the missile, which shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014, had been launched by the BUK missile system operated by the Russian military.

Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke, for his part, has made it clear that the investigation team will not disclose the evidence allegedly uncovered.

The views and opinions expressed by Nikola Mirkovic are those of the analyst and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik


MH17 Probe: 'Everything Points to the Ukrainian Side' – Analyst
19:09 24.05.2018(updated 19:15 24.05.2018)
Follow Radio Sputnik and others on SoundCloud.
https://soundcloud.com/radiosputnik%2Fit-seemed-like-the-investigation-was-urged-to-come-up-with-something-and-they-had-nothing-expert
Dutch investigators claim that the Malaysian Airlines' Boeing 777 that crashed in east Ukraine in 2014 was allegedly shot down by a Buk missile system that was provided by Russia.

According to the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team the missile system was allegedly delivered to territories in eastern Ukraine that were beyond Kiev's control at the time of the incident.

However, Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke stated that the investigation team will not disclose the evidence allegedly uncovered.
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Thank you both for these new additions. :cool2:

Meanwhile, the Netherlands (in tandem with Australia) goes full steam ahead in blaming the Russian side and making demands for cooperation and compensation.

Russia denies owning missile that downed MH17

Netherlands holds Russia responsible for MH17 disaster
[...]
"The downing of flight MH17 caused irreparable suffering", Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs said in the statement. "The government always said: the truth about MH17 must be on the table and justice must prevail for the victims and their relatives. The Netherlands has the support of the international community in this. Based on the conclusions of the JIT, it is now certain for the Netherlands and Australia that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the BUK installation with which flight MH17 was shot down. The government is now acting on this by formally holding Russia responsible."

Holding a state liable is a complex legal process that the Netherlands and Australia will now take on together. On Friday the two countries asked Russia for talks with the aim of "finding a solution that does justice to the enormous suffering and the damage caused by the downing of flight MH17".

This step is separate from the criminal investigation into and the prosecution of the perpetrators behind the disaster. The Joint Investigation Team's investigation will continue unchanged.

"We demand that Russia take its responsibility and fully cooperate with the discovery of the truth and justice for the victims of flight MH17 and their relatives", Blok said.
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"We won't exclude any legal steps", PM Rutte says about MH17 investigation
"The disaster with MH17 is a black page in our history", Prime Minister Mark Rutte said after the Council of Ministers on Friday. He cut a trade mission to India short to discuss the interim results of the investigation into the disaster with the Council of Ministers. "We won't exclude any legal steps", the Dutch Prime Minster said, NU.nl reports.

On Friday morning the Netherlands and Australia formally held Russia accountable for its role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. The Joint Investigation Team has conclusive evidence that the BUK missile used to down the passenger plane came from the 53rd Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. The JIT also revealed that Russia is not cooperating in the investigation, and not providing the requested information.

The decision to formally hold Russia accountable was not taken lightly, Rutte said. "We now know that Russia bears responsibility, namely for delivery of the BUK missile", he said. "This step is far-reaching but necessary given the results of the investigation team on Thursday."

Rutte called it "regrettable" that Russia again raised doubts about the results of the JIT investigation. According to the country, it is not involved in the investigation into the disaster and, partly because of this, has no confidence in the investigation results, according to RTL Nieuws. Russia still blames the Ukraine for the disaster.

Holding the country accountable is the first step. "We have to think about what happens next", Rutte said, refusing to speculate about what other steps will be taken. He did point out that Russia previously agreed, in UN context, to an investigation into what happened in the MH17 disaster.

The Joint Investigation Team consists of the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. The Netherlands and Australia formally held Russia accountable, because they are the two countries with the most victims in the disaster, Rutte said.

The United States Foreign Ministry released a statement calling on Russia to cooperate in the investigation into the MH17 disaster. "We recall the UN Security Council's demand that those responsible be held to account and that all States cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability", the statement reads. "We call upon Russia, in particular to respect and adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 2166. It is time for Russia to cease its lies and account for its role in the shoot down."

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, 2014. All 298 people on board the plane were killed, including 196 Dutch.
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The Netherlands, Australia say Russia is liable for shooting down MH17 - DutchNews.nl
[...]
‘The downing of flight MH17 caused unimaginable suffering,’ Blok said. ‘On the basis of the JIT’s conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation that was used to down MH17. The government is now taking the next step by formally holding Russia accountable.’

The two countries have now asked Russia to enter into talks aimed at finding a solution and do justice to the suffering and damage caused by disaster, the statement said. A possible next step is to present the case to an international court or organization for their judgment.

Holding Russia accountable for its part in the downing of flight MH17 is separate from the criminal investigation and any prosecution and trial of the perpetrators of the downing of flight MH17.

‘We call on Russia to accept its responsibility and cooperate fully with the process to establish the truth and achieve justice for the victims of flight MH17 and their next of kin,’ Blok said.

The EU and NATO have also urged Russia to accept responsibility for the incident.
[...]
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Bellingcat claims to have identified second Russian official in MH17 probe - DutchNews.nl
Online investigation group Bellingcat said on Friday it had identified a second Russian military official who had a major role in the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

The collective says its research points the finger at Oleg Ivannikov, who operated under the code name Orion. Ivannikov was in charge of the armed forces in the ‘people’s republic of Lugansk’, a rebel-held area in eastern Ukraine, Bellingcat said.

Telephone taps and other evidence have led Bellingcat to conclude that he was directly involved in moving the Buk missile system to and from Ukraine.

Bellingcat earlier identified the source of the missile system as the 53ste anti-aircraft missile brigade, which the Dutch investigation team confirmed on Thursday.

Last December, Bellingcat said it had identified a man heard speaking on a number of intercepted phone calls as Russian general Nikolai Fedorovich Tkachev following voice analysis.

The identity of the owner of the voice, known as Delfin, is considered key to the investigation and in 2016 the investigation team appealed for help in identifying him and Orion, whom Bellingcat now claims to have found.
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Source: Netherlands counting on unanimous EU support on MH17

By Janene Pieters on May 28, 2018 - 08:54

On Monday Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs will explain the Netherlands and Australia's decision to formally hold Russia accountable for its role in the downing of flight MH17 to a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. He is counting on unanimous support from the European Union on this decision, sources told newspaper AD (in Dutch).

On Thursday the Joint Investigation Team revealed that the BUK missile system used to shoot down flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, 2014, came from the 53rd Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. All 298 people on board the Malaysia Airlines flight were killed in the disaster, including 196 Dutch. The JIT also revealed that Russia is not cooperating with the investigation into those responsible, and is refusing to provide all the requested information.

This week the Dutch government is deliberately looking for support from other countries for its decision to hold Russia accountable for providing the missile that shot down MH17, according to AD's sources. The idea is to isolate Russia more and more, so that the effect of this decision is greater. The decision will also be explained during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. There too the Dutch government will ask for support. Russia is a member of the UN Security Council.

A number of countries already expressed support for this decision. EU foreign coordinator Federica Mogherini issued a statement of support in which she called on Russia to take responsibility. Great Britain and Germany also expressed support. A spokesperson for the United States Department of State said that America "strongly supports" the Netherlands and Australia's decision, according to AD. "It is time that Russia recognizes its role in shooting down MH17 and stops its insensitive campaign of disinformation." After the JIT announced its interim investigation results, the department also released a statement calling on Russia to cooperate in the investigation.
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Russia rejects unfounded accusations of its involvement in MH17 crash - envoy to Australia
May 27, 2018 9:11 UTC+3
Canberra ignores all serious data refuting the fake news, Grigory Logvinov noted
SYDNEY, May 27. /TASS/
Moscow is ready to provide assistance in investigating flight MH17 crash in Ukraine in 2014, but is not planning to accept the unfounded accusations against it, Russian Ambassador to Australia Grigory Logvinov said on Sunday.
The envoy commented on the decision of the governments of Australia and the Netherlands on Friday to officially accuse Russia of its alleged involvement in the tragedy and hold Moscow responsible

The envoy commented on the decision of the governments of Australia and the Netherlands on Friday to officially accuse Russia of its alleged involvement in the tragedy and hold Moscow responsible.

"Australia’s authorities, represented by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, have unequivocally supported dubious conclusions of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and moreover demanded that Russia repent and agree on the compensation sum for the victims of flight MH17 crash," the ambassador said.

Despite Russia’s proposals to jointly conduct a serious and professional investigation, all of them have been rejected, the envoy said. "Dirty provocations are staged, and the party to blame is defined beforehand. The so-called investigation is carried out almost only on the basis of information from social networks and some international NGOs, which have disgraced themselves by fabrications, primitive frame-ups and so on," the diplomat said.

Canberra ignores all serious data refuting the fake news, Logvinov noted. "The same malign pattern is seen in the so-called Skripal case, the Syria "chemic dossier" and earlier in fabricating the pretexts for a military attack on Yugoslavia and Iraq."

On Thursday, the Joint Investigation Team, consisting of representatives of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine, released its update in criminal investigation of flight MH17 crash. According to the JIT, "the BUK-TELAR that was used to down MH17, originates from the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade (hereinafter 53rd brigade), a unit of the Russian army from Kursk in the Russian Federation."

Russia’s Defense Ministry rejected all the accusations saying that none of the Russian Army’s air defense missile systems had ever crossed the border between Russia and Ukraine. The ministry also said that Russia provided the Dutch investigators with overwhelming evidence clearly pointing to the complicity of Ukrainian crews of Buk missile systems in destroying the Boeing airliner.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the JIT’s investigation reminds of the situation with the case of the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia by its lack of evidence.

The Boeing-777 passenger plane operated by Malaysian Airlines crashed on July 17, 2014, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in the east of the Donetsk region. As many as 283 passengers and 15 crew members - citizens of 10 states, were killed in the crash. The parties to the armed conflict in Donbass accused each other of complicity in the tragedy.
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Repentance, compensation and lies: the ambassador of Russia in Australia told about the action on accusation of Moscow in the plane crash MN17
Раскаяния, компенсации и ложь: посол России в Австралии рассказал об акции по обвинению Москвы в авиакатастрофе МН17
08:05 27.05.2018
According to the ambassador, all serious efforts for professional joint work are categorically rejected by other countries.
Russia's ambassador to Australia, Grigory Logvinov, called a "preplanned action" of Moscow's accusation of involvement in the collapse of the Malaysian Boeing MH17.

According to the ambassador, the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister of Australia supported the International Investigation Team and demanded that Russia "repent" and "compensate" the victims of the tragedy of the MN17 flight. While the results of the "investigation" are based on materials obtained from social networks and from previously compromised sources.

"We are dealing with a preplanned provocation. All our efforts to launch a serious, thorough and professional teamwork are categorically rejected, "RIA Novosti quoted the Ambassador as saying.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense of Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations of other countries in alleged involvement in a plane crash with the MN17. The Russian side previously presented to the Dutch law enforcement agencies exhaustive evidence that it was the Ukrainian Buk air defense systems that were involved in the destruction of the passenger Boeing. As the agency notes, all the speculations of the "investigators" are based on the old unconfirmed and unreliable news, and the persons mentioned in them have not served in the armed forces for a long time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also commented earlier on allegations of involvement in the Russian Federation. According to the Russian leader, Moscow can not trust the results of the investigation of the International Investigation Group, since it does not participate in it. ■
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Thanks c.a. for adding these articles. :cool:

Archiving the latest from SOTT (Andrés Perezalonso):

Why is Russia Being Blamed For The Downing of Flight MH17 - Again? -- Sott.net

[...]
Why Now?

Since its last installment in September 2016, the JIT had more than a year and a half to put together the presentation we saw on Thursday. Bellingcat had already covered most of the points presented by JIT, so why did it take them so long to present them? Why did they choose this particular moment to make the headlines by openly blaming Russia? There are three possible reasons:
  • This was an attempt to attack Russia's image during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, in which French president Emmanuel Macron was a guest of honour. France has agreed to several investment projects in cooperation with Russian firms.
  • The Football World Cup begins in a couple of weeks in Russia. The idea would be to 'rain on the party' and spoil Russia's opportunity to improve their image on the world stage. It would be in Russia's best interest for the global situation to be as stable as possible during the World Cup, which means that the enemies of Russia will take the opportunity to cause as much trouble as possible. This leads to the next point.
  • The conflict in eastern Ukraine may be about to escalate. Last week, Kiev forces advanced on Donetsk People's Republic's positions north of the city of Gorlovka. The clashes included the Kiev artillery shelling civilian areas in settlements around Gorlovka and in the city itself, resulting in civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Locals also report that Kiev has amassed troops, military equipment and tanks in the area of Stanytsia Luganskaya, north of Lugansk.
The timing of the JIT accusations against Russia, as well as their insistence on one single hypothetical and far from proven scenario, suggests that the investigation on the MH17 tragedy is being used as a political weapon and it is failing its own mandate of finding the truth.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow has been deliberately accused of being involved in the MH17 crash ahead of important international events.

Wed May 30, 2018 - Moscow: Russia Deliberately Accused of Involvement in MH17 Crash Ahead of FIFA World Cup
Farsnews

Accusations against Moscow were not based on facts, Lavrov stated, adding that "they want us only to admit that it indeed was our military unit and our Buk missile system - that’s all", TASS reported.

Lavrov pointed out that "the investigation is not over yet but our offers of assistance are being rejected".

"I think they decided to make public accusations in light of the upcoming important international events," the Russian top diplomat noted, stressing that "they seek to spoil the mood but they are trying to employ useless tools".

Lavrov also announced that Australia and the Netherlands had sent an official note to Russia demanding talks on compensations to the families of the crash victims though the investigation had released only preliminary conclusions.

"What do they mean by that? How can they expect us to deal with them normally when they show such an approach?" the Russian Foreign Minister said, adding that "they should learn good manners. I have already said that many have lost the culture of diplomacy. It is a sad thing which seems to be contagious".

Earlier on Tuesday, Russia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya stated that Moscow cannot accept "baseless conclusions" of the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which blames Russia for the 2014 crash of flight MH17 in Eastern Ukraine.

"We confirm our readiness to render all possible assistance to a truly transparent and independent investigation, but we cannot accept baseless conclusions of the JIT. Considering the unsavory methods that certain nations employ at present, we can trust the findings only of investigations to which Russia is a full-fledged member," Nebenzya said during the Security Council’s session on Ukraine, the first in more than a year.

The Russian diplomat added that Russia’s stance on the MH17 tragedy remains unchanged.

"We are outraged by this terrible incident," he said, stressed that "we insist on holding a trustworthy investigation. The true culprits should be determined on the basis of factual evidence and brought to justice".
 
Thanks angelburst29 for expanding on the SOTT article about Lavrov's comments.

Source: Netherlands may also hold Ukraine accountable for MH17

By Janene Pieters on June 1, 2018 - 11:20

Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs does not rule out that in the future the Netherlands will also hold Ukraine accountable for its role in the MH17 disaster. "There is no concrete legal ground for this, but the cabinet does not rule anything out", he said in a parliamentary debate on the government's decision to hold Russia accountable for its role in the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight, NU.nl reports (in Dutch).

Ukraine should have closed its airspace before flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17th, 2014. In the days preceding the disaster, there were several air battles in the area, including a Ukrainian military cargo plane being shot down at a great height.

In parliament on Thursday, Blok stressed the need to be cautious, according to the newspaper. The lead lies with the Public Prosecutor and the Joint Investigation Team - a cooperation between the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine, the Minister said.

Last week the Netherlands and Australia formally held Russia accountable for its role in downing MH17 - providing the missile system used to shoot down the plane, killing all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch. The Dutch government made this decision after the JIT presented evidence that the BUK missile system came from the 53rd Brigade of the Russian Armed forces. Previously the JIT tracked the transport of the missile from Russia to the pro-Russian separatists controlled field in Ukraine where it was fired.

All parties in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, approved the decision to hold Russia accountable. "We fully support the Cabinet", GroenLinks parliamentarian Bram van Oijk said. D66 MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma: "The perpetrator and motive are not known, but the finger points to Russia." PVV parliamentarian Raymond de Roon called it "a step further towards truth and justice", according to NU.nl.

The Kamer still has a number of questions, however. Like why the other countries in the JIT - Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine - haven't also formally held Russia accountable. Blok repeated what he said on this topic last week: "That is a consideration of the countries in question." And "they have the opportunity to participate". The Netherlands and Australia lost the most people in the disaster.

ChristenUnie also wanted to know what the cabinet's next steps will be if Russia still refuses to cooperate in the investigation. Will sanctions follow? Here too Blok urged caution. "There are all sorts of legal routes imaginable. But in order to achieve the goal, we have to operate carefully and keep our cards close to the chest when it comes to concrete process steps."
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Other news:
No conclusive evidence Russia behind MH17 downing: Malaysia transport minister

No conclusive evidence Russia behind MH17 downing: Malaysia transport minister

By Sumisha Naidu 31 May 2018 12:10AM (Updated: 31 May 2018 12:20AM)

KUALA LUMPUR: There is no conclusive evidence to confirm that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke said on Wednesday (May 30).

Investigators probing the 2014 downing of flight MH17 said last Thursday for the first time that the missile which brought down the plane over eastern Ukraine originated from a Russian military brigade. All 298 people onboard died.

Speaking to Channel NewsAsia on Wednesday, Mr Loke said: "There is no conclusive evidence to point at Russia under the JIT (Joint Investigative Team) evidence."

Moscow has rejected JIT's accusation, saying no such weapon had ever crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border and that it was an attempt to "discredit Russia in the eyes of the international community".

"But who's responsible - you can't just pinpoint at Russia," said Mr Loke, when asked about the findings.

"Of course we have to take into consideration diplomatic relations," he said, adding that "any further actions will be based on conclusive evidence".

Australia and the Netherlands, whose citizens were also onboard the plane, have informed Russia that they hold the country responsible under international law for its role in bringing down MH17.

On Tuesday, Russia rejected calls from the Dutch to accept responsibility at a UN Security Council meeting in Ukraine.

Article continues with MH370 news...
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Other sources:
'No Conclusive Evidence to Point at Russia' Over MH17 Crash - Malaysian Minister
Malaysian transport minister refuses to blame Russia for downing of flight MH17
Malaysia declares Russia not clearly responsible for downing MH17
 
Two short articles on comments made by the new Malaysian Transport Minister ...

June 01, 2018 - Dutch Minister surprised by Malaysia’s statements on MH17 plane crash — media
Dutch Minister surprised by Malaysia’s statements on MH17 plane crash — media

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said he was surprised by the statement of Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke on the lack of convincing evidence of Russia's responsibility for the downing of the Malaysian Boeing in the east of Ukraine, the Telegraaf newspaper reported.

Blok drew attention to the fact that the minister had been appointed only recently.

"If you are a minister, you receive a lot of information. We are working closely with Malaysia, this country has all the data, so this statement seems strange to me, too," he said.

Blok also promised to contact his new Malaysian counterpart as soon as he is appointed.

On Thursday, Loke stated that there is no conclusive evidence to confirm that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

He stressed that any further actions by international investigators should be based on conclusive evidence.


June 01, 2018 - No convincing proof of Russia's role in MH17 tragedy obtained so far — Malaysian minister
No convincing proof of Russia's role in MH17 tragedy obtained so far — Malaysian minister

There is no conclusive proof of Russia’s responsibility for the crash of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in July 2014, Channel News Asia said on Thursday quoting Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

"There is no conclusive evidence to point at Russia under the JIT [Joint Investigative Team] evidence," he said when a reporter asked him about the JIT findings. "But who's responsible - you can't just pinpoint at Russia."

"Of course we have to take into consideration diplomatic relations," he said, adding that any further actions would be based "on conclusive evidence".
 
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