Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17: How Russia Shot Down a Plane and Tried to Cover It Up

What Happened

On July 17, 2014, flight Malaysia Airlines MH17 (Boeing 777) was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. At 4:20 PM Kyiv time, the plane was shot down over territory controlled by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine (near Torez, Donetsk Oblast).

298 people killed — everyone on board:

• 196 citizens of the Netherlands
• 43 citizens of Malaysia
• 27 citizens of Australia
• 12 citizens of Indonesia
• 10 citizens of the United Kingdom
• And citizens of 6 other countries

Among the dead were 80 children.

The Investigation

Dutch Safety Board (OVV)

October 2015 — the OVV published its technical report:

• The plane was destroyed by a warhead from an anti-aircraft missile of the 9M38 series from a Buk system
• The missile detonated to the left above the cockpit
• Characteristic shrapnel elements (butterfly-shaped) from a Buk missile were found

Joint Investigation Team (JIT)

The JIT (Joint Investigation Team) — an international investigative group comprising the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine — conducted a criminal investigation.

September 2016 — the JIT announced:

• MH17 was shot down by a Buk missile of the 9M38 series
• The missile system belonged to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces (based in Kursk)
• The Buk system was transported from Russia into militant-held territory
• After firing, the system was returned to Russia — already missing one missile

Bellingcat: Open-Source Evidence

The investigative group Bellingcat conducted a parallel investigation based on open-source data:

• Traced the route of a specific Buk (vehicle number 332) from Russia across the border to the launch site and back
• Found photos and videos of the Buk being transported with one missile missing (after firing)
• Identified specific Russian military personnel involved in the transport
• Used geolocation, photo metadata, eyewitness testimony, and intercepted communications

Intercepted Communications

Ukraine’s Security Service published intercepted phone conversations of the militants:

• Immediately after the shootdown, the militants boasted about having shot down an “aircraft”
• When it became clear it was a civilian flight — they began covering their tracks
• The conversations confirm coordination with Russian handlers

Court Verdict

November 17, 2022 — the District Court of The Hague delivered its verdict:

Found guilty (in absentia):

• Igor Girkin (Strelkov) — former FSB officer, “Defense Minister of the DPR” — life imprisonment
• Sergei Dubinsky — GRU officer — life imprisonment
• Leonid Kharchenko — militant commander — life imprisonment

Acquitted: Pulatov (the only one who had legal representation).

The court established that Russia had overall control over the armed formations of the “DPR.”

Russian Versions and Their Debunking

Version 1: “A Ukrainian Su-25 Shot It Down”

Russia claimed: the plane was shot down by a Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft.

Debunked:

• The Su-25’s ceiling is 7,000 m. MH17 was flying at 10,000 m — the Su-25 physically cannot reach that altitude
• The Su-25 is an attack aircraft, not an interceptor. Its missiles are not designed for targets at that altitude
• No radar data confirming the presence of an Su-25 in the area

Version 2: “A Ukrainian Buk Shot It Down”

Debunked:

• The JIT precisely established the route of the specific Buk — it came from Russian territory
• The serial number of the missile engine corresponds to a batch that was never transferred to Ukraine
• Photos and videos confirm the transport of the Buk from Russia and back

Version 3: Fake “Satellite Images”

Russia’s Ministry of Defense presented “satellite images” allegedly showing a Ukrainian Buk nearby.

Debunked:

• Bellingcat proved the images were fabricated — shadows and metadata did not match the stated date
• Digital artifacts indicated the images had been edited

Version 4: “It Was a Provocation”

Debunked:

• The militants themselves posted about having shot down an “aircraft” — and then deleted their posts
• Girkin (Strelkov) wrote on social media about shooting down an “An-26” — and then deleted the post when it became known that it was a civilian Boeing

Russia’s Reaction

• Russia blocked the creation of a UN international tribunal (veto in the Security Council, July 2015)
• Refuses to extradite the convicted individuals
• Continues to deny involvement, despite the court verdict
• Igor Girkin, sentenced to life, upon returning to Russia was arrested… for “extremism” — criticizing Putin, not for MH17

The Victims’ Families

The relatives of the 298 victims continue their fight for justice:

• A lawsuit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights
• A campaign for enforcement of the verdict of The Hague court
• Annual memorial ceremonies at the monument in the Netherlands (298 trees)

Conclusion

MH17 is not a “disputed matter” or a “tragic accident.” It is the murder of 298 innocent people, including 80 children, by a weapon of the Russian Armed Forces. This has been proven by an international investigation, confirmed by a court verdict, and documented with thousands of pieces of evidence. Russia is responsible — and no number of fake versions will change that.