MH17 tragedy may have been caused by Russian BUK missile

The Hague, Aug 12: Tragedy may indeed have struck the ill-fated MH 17 Malaysian Airline due to a possible Russian BUK missile. Investigators probing the downing of the airplane at Ukraine believe that the fragmants may belong to a Russian-made surface-to-air missile.

While Russia sticks to its version of having nothing to do with the shooting, the evidence is seen as an eye-opener.

Minutes after the plane was shot down in Ukraine, Ukraine and many in the west accused the rebels of blowing the plane by using a BUK missile supplied by Russia. Russia, on the contrary, deny any responsibility and blame the Ukrainian military.

Fred Westerbeke, the Dutch public prosecutor said,"international and Dutch investigators were examining seven "considerable fragments of some size... probably from a BUK missile system."

He further added,"It's too early to say that the fragments we found were, for instance, from the BUK rocket that possibly shot down MH17."

The plane was shot down mid-air on July 17 last year, killing all 298 passengers. Close to 2-3rd of the passengers were Dutch, travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Incidentally, many were children who had just started their summer vacation.

Nearing the end of investigation, the probe clearly shows deeper cracks in the relations between Russia and the West, whose ties are already edgy.

OneIndia News