MH17 disaster: Phone-taps 'show Russia directed Ukraine rebels'

[JonLP24]

Source: BBC

14 November 2019 Europe

An international inquiry into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 believes high-level Russian officials were directing separatists in eastern Ukraine linked to the attack.

Investigators allege a top aide of President Vladimir Putin was in contact with rebel leaders on a regular basis.

All 298 people on board were killed when a missile struck the plane over rebel-held territory on 17 July 2014.

Russia's foreign ministry has rejected the latest findings.

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said international investigators had manipulated the inquiry to suit a predetermined conclusion.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-50419669

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Open source investigators already linked the MH17 bombing to Russia backed rebels years ago.

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2017/07/17/mh17-open-source-investigation-three-years-later/

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[erronis]

2. And a huge kick to bellingcat - not sure who they are but there's some very interesting stuff there.

[SergeStorms]

3. Trump's buddy.....

Putin at work again. It certainly wasn't the work of some rogue Russian missile commander. Nothing happens in Russia without father Vlad's okay stamped upon it.

[William Weehours]

4. Waiting for Trump's rationalizations

3, 2, 1. . .

[Rainbow Droid]

5. Who was on the plane that they wanted to kill?

Because it would have been -very- difficult for the rebels alone to shoot down this -specific- aircraft by choice, as there were 160 flights that same day through that exact piece of airspace where MH17 was shot down.

[Igel]

7. That tortures the logic.

The Russians, it was obvious, was responsible for that BUK being in Ukraine, and responsible for it's being positioned.

However, the recordings of the people on the ground actually operating the BUK are crystal clear in their meaning: They celebrated and rejoiced in shooting down a Sukhoi. Then they (later) realized it wasn't a Sukhoi at all.

The separatists were being "directed". That does not mean that they were on the horn with Russians when the plane went overhead, the Russians thought, "Aha! This -- Netherlandish airliner. Important to tell operatives that they should fire in order to destroy not Netherlands plane but fashistskii plane."

Nowhere will you find any liking of Russian actions in Ukraine. On the other hand, it's best not to make a false claim because it sounds good and because fits the theory.

If 160 planes went through the airspace, there was a 1/160 chance of one plane being shot down. That it was this one means, in hindsight, there was a 1/1 chance of this one being shot down. On the other hand, they may well have gotten word, since they expected to shoot down a Sukhoi, that there was on in the vicinity. Perhaps they heard this, perhaps they personally saw it. Hanlon's razor handles this well enough.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Surkov. Of course.

The biggest name in Russia that very few people know.

Putin’s right hand man for years and master of disinformation.