Was it a Buk missile or a Su-25 that shot down MH-17?

The Dutch commission investigating the crash of the Malaysian Boeing 777 in Ukraine exposed its conclusions about the tragic events that happened in the sky above the Donbass simultaneously with the report from Russia's defense giant Almaz-Antey, the maker of Buk missile systems. Who downed the passenger jetliner? Pravda.Ru discussed this question with military expert Igor Korotchenko.

"One should not expect any serious conclusions from the Dutch commission. The Dutch disregarded Russia's expert materials that Almaz-Antey provided to them. This company is the only organization that knows everything about the Buk missile systems. The Russian company analyzed the open materials related to the plane crash and conducted mathematical calculations.

"Having the knowledge of all peculiarities of this type of weapon, Russian specialists roughly defined the area, from which the missile could be launched. The missile struck the airliner at a certain angle that could be calculated on the basis of peculiarities of the damage that was caused to the airplane. As a result of the work, the Russian specialists established the area, from which the missile was launched - it was the territory that was staying under the control of Ukrainian troops the day when the tragedy occurred.

"The launch was made from a Buk M1 system, but the modification of the missile indicated that it was an outdated weapon that only Ukrainian military used. Russia stopped the production of this modification in 1999. Almaz-Antey had no intention to draw any political conclusions. Their analysis was purely about there mathematics and physics of the fragmentation field. Almaz-Antey also conducted a real experiment, within the scope of which a real Buk missile was exploded near a real cockpit. The results of the experiment were unveiled on October 13 - the same day when the Dutch group presented its own report.

"If the Dutch commission ignores the materials from Almaz-Antey again, one can be absolutely certain that the conclusions of the commission will be politically motivated to cover up Ukraine."

"Isn't it already clear from all the controversy surrounding the crash of the Malaysian Boeing?"

"Of course, it is. Here is an interesting detail that deserves attention. American satellites photographed the Russian air base in Latakia, Syria. On those photos, one can see every single Russian fighter jet. The pictures are so clear you can almost see the type and even onboard numbers of those planes. Where are US satellites images of the attack on the Malaysian Boeing over the Donbass? There were two US spy satellites flying above that area at that particular moment. They put the blame on Russia, but provide absolutely no evidence to prove that.

"They do not show the photos, because the Americans know - it was Ukraine that shot the plane down. If I were Poroshenko, if I knew for certain that my country was not involved in the crime, I would invite the most authoritative international commission to Ukraine and let them access all the missiles systems near Donetsk. I would ask them to see for themselves that none of those systems launched a missile that day.

"Everything is simple. When an anti-aircraft guided missile is launched from a ground-based system, all the paint on board the system gets burnt. In addition, A Buk missile is a solid-fuel missile, and combustion products - tiny particles of soot - clog everything. If you didn't shoot, then let the world see that! Ukraine did not anything that could resemble such a move.

"Ukrainian officials said that they did not have any troops deployed in the area at the time of the disaster. However, Ukrainian words contradict to the data from the Russian intelligence. According to Russian electronic intelligence, there was a Buk missile system in the area. The system was operating, but left the territory the day after the tragedy.

"Last but not least, the Ukrainian Security Service withdrew the records of all negotiations between  flight control officers. They were conducting the talks not only with the pilots of the Malaysian Boeing, but also with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and higher air traffic control authorities of Ukraine.

"Why doesn't the international commission ask Ukraine to provide all those materials? The totality of evidence suggests that Ukraine has committed the crime that is very similar to the tragedy above the Black Sea, when a Ukrainian S-200 system downed a passenger Tu-154 plane. Ukraine has not pleaded guilty to that tragedy either. Therefore, we can say with certainty that there is a Ukrainian trace in the tragic death of the Malaysian Boeing."

"What about the version that says that it was a military plane that shot the plane down?"

"This is a version of the Investigation Committee, as they have their witness. In addition, Russian radar stations registered the flight of a Ukrainian Su-25. It is obvious that the plane was present there.

"I personally tend to accept the version exposed by Almaz-Antey. What could be the role of the Su-25? The plane either had to make the control attack or was there incidentally. It could also be a simultaneous attack, which is also possible. We can only guess, because Ukraine classified all documents.

"Interestingly, when Ukraine downed the Tu-154 above the Black Sea, an American satellite recorded the launch of the Ukrainian missile. The Americans shared the information about the location of the launcher. Today, the Americans have clammed up. As for the Su-25, one needs to investigate it further. it can be possible that the pilot of the Su-25 was there to see that the passenger plane was downed. If the plane had continued the flight, the Su-25 would have approached the Boeing to finish it off."

Pravda.Ru

Interview conducted by Inna Novikova

Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru