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MH17 anniv.: Investigation into incident still ongoing

CCTV.com

07-16-2016 17:24 BJT

It’s been two years since Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 was shot down by a missile over Ukraine. Families of the victims are still waiting for answers as to who downed the jet and why. Was it an accident or was it intentionally targeted?

Two years since the tragedy over eastern Ukraine, very few questions have been answered about who shot down the Malaysian jet carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew members.

Earlier this month, Dutch investigators probing the case visited Moscow to request additional evidence, but their meetings in Russia took place behind closed doors.

"The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office is planning to continue providing all the necessary legal assistance required for full and objective criminal investigation into the circumstances of the Malaysian Boeing crash in the sky over Ukraine," said Alexander Kurennoy, Russian professor general's office.

The Dutch Safety Board’s report concluded last November the Russian-made BUK missile that downed the jet was launched near a settlement controlled by rebel forces. But officials stopped short of naming who fired the missile.

"During these two years, it seems that all sides were trying to put blame on each other through exhaustive arguments. No side could produce credible evidence that it was either Russian anti-aircraft systems or Ukrainian systems which made the plane crash," said Sergey Strokan, political analyst.

The lack of progress in the investigation has pushed families of Australian victims to the Netherlands and the courts to get answers. Some are suing Malaysian Airlines, for having chosen a dangerous route through Ukraine’s airspace. Others have brought claims against Russia to the European Court of Human Rights, saying they believe Russians were behind the attack.

But Moscow has denied the allegations. In October 2015, the Russian Almaz-Antey defense company conducted its own experiments that indicated a different, older type of BUK missile was fired from a Ukraine-controlled area, contesting the Dutch investigation’s version.

Independent investigative groups like Bellingcat and Stratfor have also undertaken their own research, but Moscow dismissed them, saying their data has not been verified.

"We see reports like Stratfor trying to make the story bubble up coming up with their fast boiling sensations, but the credibility of those sensations are highly questionable, they can hardly influence the public opinion," Strokan said.

The criminal inquiry is expected to be completed in the fall.

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