Putin Likely Supplied Missile System That Downed Malaysia Airlines Flight, Investigators Say

Topline

Russian President Vladimir Putin likely supplied the anti-aircraft missile system that was used to shoot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, killing nearly 300 people, according to findings released by international investigators Wednesday, though the Russian government has denied any involvement in the eight years since the crash.

Key Facts

A Dutch-led investigation found that there are “strong indications” that Putin supplied the missile system to pro-Russian separatists in 2014, including one line of audio between Russian military officials and the separatists that indicated Putin was “the only one who makes the decision” to supply the weapons.

There was no additional evidence that suggests Putin ordered the aircraft to be shot down, according to prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer, though Putin would be protected from prosecution under Dutch law because it provides immunity to heads of state.

Three other current or former Russian officers were possibly involved in the crash, van Boetzelaer added, but investigators could not confirm whether there were more people involved than the three already convicted.

The announcement comes nearly three months after a Dutch court convicted two Russian intelligence agents and one Ukrainian separatist—Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinski and Leonid Kharchenko, respectively—to life in prison.

Contra

The Russian government has continued to deny any responsibility for the downing of the aircraft, adding “the trial in the Netherlands has every chance of becoming one of the most scandalous in the history of legal proceedings,” according to Reuters.

What We Don’t Know

There is still no evidence suggesting who ordered the separatists to fire at the aircraft, investigators concluded.

Key Background

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was scheduled to leave Amsterdam and arrive in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 17, 2014. The passenger plane, carrying 15 crew members and 283 passengers, was shot down over eastern Ukraine by an anti-aircraft missile that was provided by pro-Russian separatists who believed the plane to be a Ukraine fighter jet, according to the New York Times. A trial at the Hague District Court, located by the Schiphol Airport where the plane departed, began in 2020. Gherkin, Dubinsky and Kharchenko were not present during the trial and did not have legal representation, according to Reuters, as the three men are believed to still be at large in Russia.

Further Reading

MH17 Verdict: Two Russians And One Ukrainian Found Guilty Of Downing Flight, Killing Nearly 300 People (Forbes)