Deutsche Welle: Investigators say Russian missile downed MH17

Published Sept. 28, 2016 at 3:14 pm

Members of a joint investigation team present the preliminary results of the criminal investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 , in Nieuwegein, on September 28, 2016. Last year a separate inquiry led by the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) found the Boeing 777 was hit by a BUK missile fired from an area most likely in rebel-held eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since early 2014. / AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNAND

Photo by AFP

The doomed flight MH17 was shot down by a BUK surface-to-air missile trucked in from Russia, investigators said on Sept. 28. All 298 aboard were killed and evidence from communications intercepts, radar data and other material points to a military ground-to-air missile as the cause.

The investigation has been headed by the Dutch prosecution service, but includes teams from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. They publicly revealed their initial findings at a news conference in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands on Sept. 28.