Bellingcat: New photo of Buk proves Russian involvement in downing of MH17 flight

The Bellingcat Investigation Team considers that a new photo of Buk, published by the Joint Investigative Group (JIT) on Thursday, October 19, proves that MH17 flight was shot down by Russian anti-aircraft missile system.

“The image shows the right side of the Buk, loaded on the back of the white Volvo truck that hauled it through eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2017. Also visible in the photograph is the blue Volkswagen minivan that escorted the Buk through eastern Ukraine on the same day. This anti-aircraft missile launcher is Buk 332, previously identified by Bellingcat as “Buk 3×2,” belonging to Russia’s Kursk-based 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade,” the report reads.

The JIT has not voiced any certain conclusions yet. In publishing the photograph, the JIT said that the photograph was “probably taken on July 17, 2014 in the town of Makeevka, Ukraine.”

In turn, Bellingcat stresses that "after today, with the ninth piece of visual evidence publicly available showing the weapon belonging to the Russian Armed Forces in eastern Ukraine, there is no room left at all for doubt."

As a reminder, Malaysia Airlines MH17 Boeing 777 heading from Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur was shot down over militant-occupied territory in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on July 17, 2014. All 298 people on board were killed in the crash.

The international group to investigate the plane crash came to the conclusion that the airliner was shot down from a territory controlled by the Russian-backed militants with a missile launched from the Buk missile launcher, previously delivered from the territory of Russia.

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