Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed on Monday that the missile that shot down flight MH17 in June 2014, killing 298 people on board, had been produced in 1986 and was owned by Ukrainian authorities.
Russia said they were able to track down the Buk missile’s paper trail using two serial numbers found on fragments of the rocket.
The Buk missile was built at a plant near Moscow during the Cold War and delivered to Ukraine in 1986 when it was a Soviet republic, the Kremlin claims.
A team of international investigators has pointed the blame at Moscow, saying videos and other evidence show the missile being transported into a war zone in eastern Ukraine from neighbouring Russia. The investigators have claimed that the missile launcher used in the air disaster – which killed all 298 passengers and crew onboard – belonged to Russia’s military.
Flight MH17 travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was downed near Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, in June 2014.
This development is expected to further deteriorate the relations between Ukraine and Russia, even though the relations between Russia and Ukraine can hardly deteriorate further.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in August, that bilateral relations have reached a stage when the situation can hardly deteriorate further. They are in a deep crisis and there are no signs saying that the situation can improve.
“However, even under the current circumstances, it would be unreasonable to take any steps that could inflict additional harm on the interests of the two countries’ people,” Peskov added.
Sources: Tass/EuroNews
