Prosecutors: Possible Russian-made missile parts found at MH17 site

Dutch prosecutors from a joint international criminal investigation into the 2014 downing of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine say some of the debris recovered from the site may belong to a Russian-made missile system. MH17 was brought down in July last year, killing all 298 people on board. Prosecutors have previously said they believed a missile strike was the most likely scenario, but Tuesday’s announcement was the first time they have described possible physical evidence of a missile. However, they cautioned that the conclusion cannot yet be drawn that there is a causal connection between the discovered parts of the BUK surface-to-air system and the crash of flight MH17.

(The parts) are of particular interest to the criminal investigation as they can possibly provide more information about who was involved in the crash of MH17.

Dutch prosecutors in a statement

The Netherlands’ national prosecutor’s office said that the fragments, possibly from a BUK surface-to-air missile system, were in the possession of the Dutch Safety Board, which is conducting the civilian investigation into the crash. MH17 crashed over territory held by pro-Russian rebels. Most of the victims on board the flight were Dutch citizens. The Kremlin has steadfastly denied having anything to do with bringing down the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

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