Russian military missile downed flight MH17, say investigators

Detailed analysis of video images has established that the Buk missile that brought down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 nearly four years ago came from a Russia-based military unit, an international team of investigators said.

Wilbert Paulissen, of the Dutch National Police, said the missile was from the Russian military’s 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk.

Mr Paulissen was speaking at a presentation of interim results of the long-running investigation into the downing of flight MH17.

The passenger jet was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when it was blown out of the sky over eastern Ukraine on July 17 2014.

All 298 passengers and crew were killed.

Russia has always denied involvement in the downing of the jet.