Russia delivers all data about Boeing crash to EU

Russia handed over all data of the Defense Ministry about the crash of the Malaysian Boeing in Ukraine to the European Union, Russia's permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said.

Photo: AP photo

"On Tuesday, we handed over the data as soon as we received them in writing, in English and Russian languages. We sent the information to all interested parties," Chizhov told reporters in Brussels, RIA Novosti reports.

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on July 17 in the Donetsk region. On board the aircraft, there were 298 people, including 85 children and 15 crew members. All the people were killed. The Kiev authorities blamed the militia of the breakaway republics, but the latter suggested that they had no weapons that could be capable of shooting planes down at such an altitude.

During a press briefing on July 21, the Russian Defense Ministry disclosed the data of objective control of the situation that was developing in the Donetsk region of Ukraine before the crash of the Boeing.

In particular, the ministry reported increased activity of a Ukrainian radar station on the day of the tragedy, strange movements of Buk anti-missile system that was located near the militia-controlled territory. It was also said that Russian experts spotted a Ukrainian military aircraft Su-25 that approached the Malaysian airliner shortly before the disaster.

According to Chizhov, the EU has shown no reaction to the received information yet. "The reaction came only from the U.S., and was quite predictable. The Americans called the collected Russian data into question. This is, of course, their right. But if they are in doubt, they should have presented their evidence, which they have not done still. The Americans never unveil factual evidence in such situations. They only claim that this is intelligence information that may compromise their sources and so on," said Chizhov.

U.S. intelligence officials said that, according to U.S. intelligence, the plane of Malaysia Airlines was shot down over the territory controlled by Ukraine separatists most likely "by mistake" - they allegedly took the passenger liner for a Ukrainian military aircraft. At the briefing, the U.S. intelligence officials rejected the claims from the Defense Ministry of Russia saying that the plane could be shot down either by Ukrainian missile or Ukrainian fighter jet.

Vladimir Chizhov, commenting on Washington's criticisms, said that the United States was in the center of a similar scandal in 1988, when American cruiser the Vincennes fired a guided missile at an Iranian airliner, having taken it for a military aircraft. Chizhov quoted then U.S. President George H. W. Bush, who said: "I will never apologize for the United States of America - I don't care what the facts are."

Russia sincerely hopes that the investigation into the tragedy with the Boeing disaster in Ukraine will be "truly impartial, independent and international, as regulated by the UN Security Council resolution," said Vladimir Chizhov. "I am surprised at the statements of certain European representatives. Attempts to second-guess the results of the investigation can be considered only as pressure on the investigation. Hopefully, that will not happen," said the permanent representative.

Chizhov warned European politicians against making conclusions about the causes and circumstances of the disaster until the international commission of experts exposes the results of the investigation.

Pravda.Ru