The investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) concluded that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile system. The missile was launched from an area in eastern Ukraine that was under the control of pro-Russian separatists at the time.
Malaysia airlines flight 17 Crash History
The specific individuals responsible for firing the missile and giving the order to do so have not been definitively identified or held accountable. However, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which conducted the international investigation into the incident, concluded that the Buk missile system was transported from Russia into Ukraine and then back to Russia after the downing of MH17.
The JIT's findings, released in September 2016, stated that the Buk missile launcher involved in the incident belonged to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian armed forces, based in Kursk, Russia. The investigation also identified a number of individuals who were suspected of being involved in the transportation and firing of the missile system.
The exact motivations behind the shooting down of MH17 remain a subject of speculation and investigation. The aircraft was flying over a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian government forces were engaged in a conflict with pro-Russian separatists. It is believed that the missile was fired by mistake, as the separatists may have misidentified the civilian aircraft as a military threat.
The tragedy of MH17 occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the situation was marked by geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The downing of the aircraft sparked international outrage and calls for justice, but the complex nature of the situation has made the process of holding those responsible accountable challenging.
Efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice are ongoing, and investigations into the incident continue. The JIT's findings have served as a basis for international legal proceedings, and efforts are being made to gather additional evidence and build a strong case against those responsible for the downing of MH17.