The Hague Must Explain Why US Satellites' Data On MH17 Not Published - Russian Prosecutors

Russia wants the Netherlands to explain why the data from Ukrainian radars and US satellites concerning the 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine has not been published, Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolay Vinnichenko told RIA Novosti

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2019) Russia wants the Netherlands to explain why the data from Ukrainian radars and US satellites concerning the 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine has not been published, Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolay Vinnichenko told RIA Novosti.

When asked whether there had been any progress in Russia obtaining data from Ukrainian radars, recordings of Ukrainian military air traffic controllers' conversations, records of Ukraine's ammunition register at the time of the crash, as well as data from US satellites, Vinnichenko said that it was the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that should deal with it.

"These are its direct responsibilities. It is beyond Russia's competence. But the question is fair, and it should be addressed to the Netherlands. Where is the data of Ukraine and the United States? If there isn't any, why has it not been requested? If there is, why has it not been made public?" Vinnichenko said.

On July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed near the city of Donetsk. All 298 passengers and crew on board the aircraft died. Kiev accused local militias of downing the aircraft, while they said that had no weapons capable of downing such a plane.

The interim conclusions presented by the JIT, which does not include Russia, suggested that the plane had been downed by a Russian-made Buk missile originating with a military brigade stationed in the Russian city of Kursk. The JIT could not say what court and when would be given the results of the investigation.

According to Vinnichenko, Russia sent the JIT the data showing that the missile that hit the Boeing was a Ukrainian one, but this information was not taken into account.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that the JIT allegations of Russia's links to the crash were groundless and regrettable, adding that the investigation was biased and one-sided. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pointed out that Russia was not allowed to participate in the investigation of the crash, and Moscow can only recognize the results of the probe if it participates in it fully.

The Russian Defense Ministry has said that all missiles like the one, whose engine the Dutch investigative commission showed, were discarded after 2011.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly stressed that Russia strongly refutes accusations of having links to the crash of MH17 Boeing.