MH17 plane was shot down by BUK surface-to-air missile, report confirms

Dutch-led investigators have concluded Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made BUK missile over eastern Ukraine. The Boeing 777 was brought down as it flew over heavy fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists last year, killing all 298 people on board. Victims’ relatives, who were briefed ahead of the public release of the final report, were told all those on the flight died almost instantly. The front of the jet was reconstructed in a hanger at Gilze-Rijen Airforce Base in The Netherlands for the release of the report. The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) found the type of missile exploded less than a meter from the plane’s cockpit.

Quiet as a mouse.

Robby Oehlers, cousin of one of the victims, describes the atmosphere as the families were told the news

The Ukrainian and Western governments have long blamed pro-Russian separatists, claiming they used a Russian-supplied BUK missile, fragments of which were found at the crash site. Both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries have BUK missile systems in their arsenal. The issue of flying over areas of known conflict was also raised by investigators. The DSB said 61 airliners were flying over eastern Ukraine around the time of the crash. Ahead of the report’s release, Russia rejected claims it was responsible for shooting down the airliner. It says its report directly contradicts the one by Dutch authorities.

No one considered civil aircraft… were at risk.

One of the investigators into the disaster