Russian Missile That Downed MH17 Identified By Digital Forensics

The international team of investigative journalists known as Bellingcat have identified the Russian military convoy drivers who transported Buk missile launchers from Russia to Ukraine. According to Bellingcat, this missile system downed Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) in Donetsk on July 17, 2014.

Experts were able to find photos and the names of the Russian military convoy drivers. However, the individuals who drove the military truck carrying the specific Buk missile launcher have yet to be established.

Sixty-nine separate brigades of the Russian armed forces transported the anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.

Photo credit: Bellingcat.com

In the report, the names of the drivers have been replaced with aliases and their faces blurred to protect personal data.

A full version of the report, with the real names of the individuals has been handed over to a joint investigative team in the Netherlands, which is investigating the casualties from flight MH17.

Bellingcat also uncovered that the Russian Buk missile system that shot down flight MH17 belonged to the 53rd Kursk Brigade. Investigators managed to find a photo showing the label of "Buk 332" before it was fired from the convoy in June 2014.

Previously, Bellingcat claimed that retired Russian officer Sergey Dubinsky was responsible for downing the flight MH17. They also claimed that he brought the Buk missile system into Ukrainian territory.

Officer Dubinsky said he did not fire on the plane or give the command to shoot down the Boeing. He did not specify whether he was involved in transporting the Buk missile system.

The international team investigating the downing of flight MH17 on July 17, 2014 concluded that a missile fired from a Buk missile launcher transported from Russia shot down the airliner in the non-government controlled Donbas region of Ukraine.

The investigators collected information about two defendants in the case, calling them by name. However, there are currently no official suspects. In response to the report Russia claimed that they had no evidence.

The crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 claimed the lives of 283 passengers and 15 crew memebrs, including 80 children.

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/Translated by Eilish Hart